*NH remains blocked on Day 3, 4000 vehicles stranded
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 14: Fresh snowfall on the higher reaches and rain in many parts of J&K since last evening brought down the temperature in the region forcing people to wear `warmers’ while Jammu-Srinagar National Highway continued to be blocked for the third consecutive day whereas, the hailstorm in many parts of Kathua, Samba and Jammu caused extensive damage to the crops.
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Two houses were damaged in Doda and Rajouri districts due to rain while over 4000 vehicles including maximum number of trucks and oil/LPG tankers carrying essentials to Kashmir have been stranded on the highway in Ramban, Chanderkote, Kud, Chenani, Udhampur, Dhar Road and Nagrota Bypass area near Jammu.
Official sources said that Udhampur -Ramnagar Road has been closed due to landslides at two places in Kagote area while, several other link roads including Ramnagar-Basantgarh-Dudu-Latti and Chenani; Mahore-Gool-Ramban, Mahore -Ghulabgarh, Mahore Chassana-Budhal and many other roads have also been blocked due to landslides.
Many places including parts of Bhaderwah, Natha Top / Patni Top, Latti, Dudu, Basangath and parts of Bani and Sarthal in Kathua; Mandi, Loran in Poonch, Gandoh-Bhalessa and parts of Kishtwar, Doda and Pir Panchal area of Banihal and Ramban experienced fresh snowfall overnight. It has brought down the temperature in the region. The people again took out the woolen clothes due to fall in temperature.
MeT spokesman has predicted clear weather tomorrow in the region but partially cloudy during next three days. The MeT office has indicated rains again from March 22 to 26.
Reports from Ramban said that National Highway authorities cleared land slides from Gangru, Battery Chashma, Mom Passi, Panthyal, Mehar and Cafeteria Morh areas and the highway was partially restored at around 4 pm today. The Traffic Police authorities allowed movement of stranded vehicles in Ramban area towards Kashmir. But hardly after one and half hours, the highway was again blocked. Many load carriers were still stranded in Ramban, Chanderkote, Nashri and Banihal area, it said.
—Excelsior/Tilak Raj
IG Traffic, T Namgyal told the Excelsior late this evening that the highway was partially restored after clearance of land slides between Ramban and Banihal this afternoon but it was again blocked after some time. He said it was raining in this stretch and the highway continued to be blocked even today. If weather improves on Sunday, the road is likely to be restored tomorrow, Namgyal maintained.
Meanwhile, a three storey pucca house belonging to one Mohd Akram, son of Abdul Aziz, resident of Sangpur near Narian in Nowshera ( Rajouri) collapsed due to heavy rain today. An ox and other household goods of Akram were buried under the debris but the family members survived.
Another house of one Ramesh Kumar, son of Sher Chand from Badroon Ghath village of Doda was partially collapsed when a large tree fell on it after heavy rain in Doda area this morning. All the family members had miraculous escape in the incident.
A part of mosque also suffered some damage.
Reports reaching from various snow bound, remote and hilly areas revealed that power supply has been snapped there due to damage caused to the power infrastructure. Some poles, cables and transformers have been damaged due to rain and snowfall. The PDD work force was on the job to restore the supplies.
Meanwhile, the authorities today issued a medium and a low danger avalanche warning for high altitude areas of various districts of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The medium danger avalanche warning has been issued for Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Udhampur districts of Jammu region and Kupwara and Bandipora districts of North Kashmir besides Kargil district in Ladakh, Director of Disaster Management, Jammu and Kashmir, Aamir Ali said.
He said there is also a threat of low danger avalanche in Anantnag, Kulgam, Baramulla and Ganderbal districts.
People residing in the high altitude areas have been directed to take precautionary measures while moving in the avalanche-prone areas, the official said.
The upper reaches of J&K and Kargil in Ladakh experienced moderate to heavy snowfall over the past two days, while the plains were lashed by rains resulting in considerable drop in temperatures, the official said.
Due to hailstorm and rains, the crops have suffered extensive damage in Kathua, Samba and Jammu border belt. Reports of damage have also been received from Bani and Billawar area of Kathua.
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