Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Jan 10: The overnight and continuous snowfall today hampered movement of traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and authorities closed it for any fresh traffic tomorrow as large numbers of vehicles are stranded on the highway.
Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan, told Excelsior that fresh snowfall in Patnitop and Jawahar Tunnel areas hampered the movement of the traffic on the National Highway. He said that there was around 5 inches fresh snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel area and despite snow clearance by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) early in the morning the road was slippery as it was continuously snowing.
The IGP said that traffic on the Highway was moving at snail’s pace due to slippery road conditions. He said that around 1300 vehicles including load carriers crossed into Kashmir valley till this evening and traffic police was clearing around 45 passenger vehicles towards Qazigund late this evening.
Khan said that 500 Srinagar bound load carriers are stranded at Ramsu and Banihal due to continuous snowfall. He said that Srinagar bound stranded vehicles will be cleared tomorrow and then Jammu bound stranded vehicles will be cleared by around 1 p.m. He said that no fresh traffic will be allowed on the highway tomorrow.
The IGP said that no traffic is allowed on the opposite direction on the National Highway during one-way traffic. However, only Banihal Train passengers are allowed to ply on the highway in opposite direction.
Khan said that around 200 Traffic police personnel are deployed on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to manage the traffic and despite freak weather this year, traffic on the highway has been smooth.
The traffic police deployed on the highway start reconnaissance of the highway every day at around 5 a.m. in Jawahar Tunnel, Ramban and Patnitop areas before traffic is allowed on the Highway.
In the meantime Army and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel rescued 23 people who were stranded due to snow-slides near Sadhna Pass on Tangdhar-Kupwara road in the frontier district of Kupwara.
A statement issued by the Defence spokesman said here that the District Administration sought Army’s help to rescue the two groups of the people who had got trapped in snow slides near Sadna Pass on January 7.
The spokesman said that these people were on way to Tangdhar in three Tata Sumo vehicles. Their vehicles got stuck due to snow slides. On receiving information, about their stranding, district administration sought Army’s assistance.
A defence spokesman said that a group of 20 people, comprising 16 men, two women and two children got trapped on Chowkibal-Tangdhar Road on January 7. On a request from Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent, a unit of Rashtriya Rifles 20 Battalion was assigned with the rescue operation. Troops successfully evacuated all 20 members of the group.
The spokesman said that a group of three people was similarly rescued from a nearby avalanche site. The spokesman further said that troops went on foot rescued them and provided food, medicine and shelter to them before sending them to Tangdhar.
In the meantime, cold weather conditions continue to prevail in Kashmir division even after there was some improvement in night temperature during past three days.
Leh was the coldest recorded place in the State with a low of minus 17.2 degree Celsius compared to the previous nights minus 11.0 degree Celsius and maximum temperature of the place settled at minus 2.6 degree Celsius.
Kargil registered a minimum of minus 8.6 degree Celsius against minus 9.2 degree Celsius the previous night while maximum day temperature of the place settled at minus 3.2 degree Celsius.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.8 degree Celsius and maximum day temperature of the place settled at 1.5 degree Celsius.
Gulmarg, which recorded a low of minus 7.0 degree Celsius the previous night, registered a low of minus 10.8 degree Celsius last night.
Pahalgam in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 6.8 degree Celsius against the previous night’s low of minus 5.8 degree Celsius while the maximum day temperature of the place settled at minus 1.2 degree Celsius.
Jammu recorded a maximum of 17.4 degree Celsius and minimum of 4.5 degree Celsius.
And the Met office in Srinagar has forecast light snow and rainfall at isolated places in the State.
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