*Heavy snowfall in Valley, schools closed, exams postponed
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Mar 11: Continuous rain and snowfall has created havoc across the State, throwing normal life out of gear as all the Srinagar bound flights could not operate due to bad weather, four persons were killed and at least 16 goats/cattle perished in lightning and flood, whereas, at least half a dozen houses collapsed in Jammu region since last evening.
The winter capital city (Jammu) of the State recorded day’s temperature, about 9 degree below normal while many hilly areas of region including Trikuta hills of Mata Vaishnodevi, Patnitop, Bhaderwah, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Poonch experienced fresh snow fall.
While Jammu- Srinagar National Highway was closed due to snowfall at Jawahar tunnel and Patnitop besides land/ mud slides at Ramban, Seri, Nashri, Panthial, Ramsoo, Battery Chashma and several other places, the traffic on Jammu-Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road has also been hit with the land slides at Kaurhapani, Raggi Nalla and Assar on Batote-Doda section of the highway. Several other roads of Jammu region including Basohli-Bani, Reasi-Mahore-Gool, Ramnagar-Dudu –Basantgarh, Chenani-Lati, Rajouri-Budhal-Chasana-Mahore and many link roads in Doda, Ramnagar, Kishtwar, Poonch, Udhampur have been blocked.
Reports said two persons were killed during thunder storm and lightning in Mahore and Budhal area, another villager’s body was recovered from a nallah in Sunderbani area. A police spokesman said that one Farooq Ahmed (35), son of Abdul Aziz resident of Jij in Mahore died as a strong beam of flash light from the sky hit him during thunder storm today. He was returning home when the incident took place.
Another person Mohd Ayub (28), son of Muneer Hussain, resident of Swari in Kotranka (Budhal) area and his cow were killed in lightning incident during thunder storm late last evening. The man was returning home along with his cow and was trapped. A young girl, Nazia Kouser, daughter of Mohd Javed, resident of Balakote was seriously injured in lightning incident. She was rushed to Rajouri hospital.
22-year-old Mohd Arif, son of Mohd Sharief, resident of Kookernag and at present Ragoora village near Sidhra in Jammu, was killed due to lightning incident today. He was at his residence when the incident occurred. The dead body of one Kewal Krishan, son of Sita Ram, resident of Daali village in Kalakote, was recovered from a swollen nallah in Sunderbani area today. The deceased was said to be missing for the last few days and was believed to have been washed away in flood. The police has started investigation into the matter. The body was sent for postmortem.
Police said at Mohallian village in Kalakote area at least 16 cattle/ sheep belonging to Mohd Sharief, Abdul Hamid and Mohd Shahfi were killed in lightning incident last night. They were kept in the cattle shed when the strong beam from sky hit the shed killing the animals. The matter was reported to police by one Mohd Aslam of the family. The house has also received partial damage in the incident. The police team has been sent to the area along with Veterinary doctor.
SP Airport Jammu Ashok Sharma disclosed that all the Srinagar bound flights from Jammu could not operate today due to bad weather and snowfall at Sringar airport. However, the flights between Delhi- Jammu-Delhi operated normally. He disclosed that chopper service at Katra Mata Vaishnodevi was also suspended due to bad weather.
Chief Scientists, SKAUST Jammu, Dr B C Sharma when contacted told the Excelsior that Jammu recorded day temperature of 17.4 degree Celsius today which is about 9 degree below the normal temperature which is 26.6 degree C. He disclosed that Jammu’s minimum temperature was 11.2 degree Celsius while the normal is 12 degree C today.
Referring to rainfall, Dr Sharma said Jammu recorded 50.4 mm rain still 5 pm today since last evening. The average rainfall for the month of March normally is 67.5 mm. Interestingly, in first 11 day’s of March, the rainfall has crossed 77 mm till this evening. It indicates that rainfall will also witness another record by the end of this month. He said that similar weather has been projected in next 24 hours.
While issuing advisory for the farmers, the SKUAST Scientist said they should not allow stagnation of water in their mustard and wheat fields in low lying areas. Yellow rust can affect their crop. They should flush out water from fields and also spray propaconazole liquid by mixing with water.
Reports said that due to land slides at Kaurapani, Assar and Raggi Nalla area a large number of vehicles have been stranded on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road, while the Traffic police authorities stopped the movement of vehicles from Udhampur onwards last evening. A large number of goods carriers were stranded on Sidhra By Pass road, Udhampur- Dhar Road, Dayala Chak- Chhalla and Manhwal -area besides on Samba and Mansar road. The movement of vehicles from Valley side has also been stopped at Qazigund and Lower Munda. Some vehicles have been stranded in Batote, Chanderkote and Ramban area since last evening. The restoration work could not be executed due to constant rain.
The traffic on Basohli-Bani road came to half after land slides at Magiar about 20 kms short of Bani this morning. About fifty vehicles have been strapped in the area. Similarly, Ramnagar-Majori-Basantgarh, Chowki-Ghordi, Reasi-Mahore -Gool Mahore Chasaana-Budhal roads have also been closed. The movement on Thannamandi- Bufliaz- Surankote road has also been stopped due to snowfall at Dera Gali.
While chopper service to Mata Vaishnodevi from Katra base camp was suspended today in view of bad weather, the pilgrimage remained in progress on old route as the new route was closed due to landslides today.
Due to flood in a nallah, a 33 KV power station at Mendhar received extensive damage. Three PDD employees inside the power house had narrow escape. Later, SDM and senior police officials visited there. It has hit the power supply in the entire area. The building has been turned unsafe due to flood. Three power transformers were damaged due to lightning at Miran Sahib near Jammu last night.
The house of one Lakhmi Chand at Indralla village in Inderwal collapsed causing extensive damage to the properly of the villager. Another house of one Kasturi Lal, son of Om Parkash, resident of Kanji House Mohalla in Raghunathpura, collapsed today during rain. However, no loss of life has been reported. Two more houses collapsed in Mahore and Arnas area and one each in Kotranka and Kalakote area since last night, the police said.
Meanwhile, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with rest of the country, was closed yet again this morning following heavy snowfall and landslides.
A traffic police official said that no vehicle will be allowed from any side today.
He said about one feet of fresh snowfall was recorded at Jawahar tunnel, Banihal and Shaitan nallah since early this morning leading to slippery road.
He said there were also landslides, triggered by heavy rains at Penthal, Digdol and Batrey Cheshma. He said it was still snowing and raining, hampering the snow clearance operation by Border Roads Organisation, responsible for the maintenance of the highway.
Today, vehicles were to ply from Srinagar to Jammu as only one-way traffic is being allowed on the highway since December. The highway was closed due to landslides at several places yesterday also when traffic was to ply from Jammu to Srinagar. However, traffic was allowed on the highway after the landslides were cleared at Penthal, Batrey Cheshma and other places. About 5500 vehicles, including those carrying passengers and essentials for Kashmir reached here.
However, official sources said a large number of vehicles, are stranded on the highway on the other side of the Jawahar tunnel.
Srinagar, the summer capital, received about one feet of fresh snowfall while heavy to very heavy snowfall was experienced in the upper reaches since last evening. It was still snowing in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley when the reports last came in.
Tree, roof tops besides roads and open spaces, had turned white in Srinagar and its adjoining areas due to fresh snowfall since last evening.
Fresh snowfall has resulted in further chill, forcing people to remain indoor.
This is the first heavy snowfall after several years, elders recalled and said Srinagar has experienced snowfall in last week of April also in the past.
The upper reaches, including world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, health resort of Pahalgam, Yusmarg, Sonamarg, Shopian, Mughal road, Sonamarg, Keran, Kupwara, Macchil and Sadhna and Razadn tops also received heavy to very heavy snowfall since yesterday. It was heavily snowing, reports said.
In a swift and timely operation, Police and civil administration has shifted about 15 families from four different avalanche prone areas to safer places in South Kashmir.
A police spokesman said here this evening that a message was received that there are ten families, consisting 48 members, including women and children, between Waltangoo Naad to Vasik Nag area in Qazigund area.
Immediately a rescue operation was launched and all the 48 people, including children, women and old were shifted to safer place from these avalanche prone areas. In another rescue operation, Shopian Police along with Army rescued 10 members of two families from Maspora falling under the Police Station Kellar from the houses which were cut off from the main village.
Two families of Iqbal and Qasim Gujjar of Mastpora Keller consisting of five members each were rescued from Mastpora by Shopian Police along with 10 cattle. The families were shifted to the houses of Sarpanches of Moshwara and Mastpora. One more family of Yousuf Ganie from Dublipora Wachi was rescued and shifted to another house in the village.
A fresh medium and high danger avalanche warning has been issued in Kashmir.
Following heavy snowfall since yesterday, the Disaster Management (DM) has issued a fresh high danger avalanche warning for upper reaches of Tangmarg, Khilanmarg and other areas in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora in Kashmir Valley and Kargil district in Ladakh region.
The DM has also issued medium danger warning for higher reaches of Banihal, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region and Pulwama, Kulgam, Budgam and Ganderbal districts. People living in these avalanche prone areas have been asked to take precautions and not to venture on steep slopes.
However, in case of emergency, people are advised to take extra precautions.
Meanwhile, all the educational institutions will remain closed for the second day today due to fresh snowfall in the Kashmir Valley and Kargil.
Kashmir Admnistrative Service (KAS) examination scheduled for today has also been postponed.
A fresh announcement said that all educational institutions, including colleges and higher secondary schools will remain closed till tomorrow due to heavy snowfall.
Decision to reopen the schools, will depend upon the weather conditions. The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has announced closure of all educational institutions, including private, for two days upto middle classes yesterday.
However, majority of private high schools also remained closed yesterday.
The attendance in Government high schools and colleges were lear due to snowfall.
Meanwhile, district administration in border district of Kargil in Ladakh region has also announced that all educational institutions in the district will remain closed till March 14 due to snowfall.
Landslides also forced suspension of cross-LoC trade on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road as authorities today managed to evacuate to safety 16 passengers, including five PoK residents, who were stranded near Kaman Post.
The passengers on board ‘Carvan-e-Aman’ (peace bus), connecting divided parts of Kashmir, had crossed into this side from across the LoC yesterday but got stranded after a massive landslide blocked the road at Uri sector’s Tin Bridge, 115-km from here, a police spokesman said.
He said two passengers crossed the ‘Aman Sethu’ from this side while 16, including five PoK residents, came from across the border and had to spend the night inside the bus due to closure of the road.
The spokesman said senior police officers made necessary arrangements, including providing blankets and food, for the passengers and stayed with them throughout the night.
He said despite inclement weather, men and machines were pressed into service and the road was made traffic worthy this afternoon following which the authorities managed to evacuate the passengers to safety.
The spokesman said the scheduled cross-border trade was suspended today due to bad weather.
“The trade failed to take place due to inclement weather,” he said.
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