Gopal Sharma/
Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Feb 22: The road-link between Jammu and Srinagar was snapped due to landslides between Ramban and Banihal since last evening even as continuous rain, snow and inclement weather badly hit the normal life in the State, resulting in the blockade of several link roads and affecting the operation of normal flights.
Fresh snowfall in Kashmir and parts of Jammu region, forced the authorities to issue avalanche warning in some parts of Kashmir province while the snowfall at Pir Panjal has badly affected the movement of vehicular traffic near Jawahar Tunnel on both sides of the tube.
Reports said due to land slides and shooting stones at Panthal, Magarkote and two other locations ahead of Seri on Jammu -Srinagar National Highway in Ramban and Banihal areas, the traffic on the busy highway came to grinding halt last night. Over one thousand trucks and other goods carriers besides 300 passenger vehicles were stranded at different locations. The Traffic Police authorities stopped trucks at Nagrota Bypass, Udhampur, Manwal- Dhar Road and at Nud and Samba area besides on that side of the tunnel at Lower Munda and Qazigund.
A massive road blockade was created for about four to five hours on Samba- Mansar road due to wrong parking of trucks bound for Srinagar. In the absence of traffic cops, a long traffic jam was created there and later, with the assistance of local cops, the traffic was restored on the road. Many school and college going students and Government employees could not reach their respective destinations in time. Right from Samba-Mansar and Udhampur besides Jammu-Nagrota Bye Pass, long queues of trucks and other load carriers have been witnessed while entire Valley bound traffic was stopped by the authorities at many places. Heavy snowfall has also been reported in the higher reaches of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi and Udhampur.
Due to lightening and thunder storm in Lohai Malhar area of Billawar this evening, a college student, Yog Raj, son of Ashru Ram of Dera Sarangali village in Malhar was killed. His charred and blackened body was found lying on the kutcha track by some villagers. They informed police and the cops shifted the body to Billawar hospital late this evening.
IGP Traffic Muneer Khan and DIG Traffic, Jammu Shakeel Beig told the Excelsior that National Highway has been blocked between Ramban and Banihal at least at four places including Digdol, Battery Chashma and Seri due to land slides and shooting stones. They disclosed that during afternoon single road was restored by BRO men and nearly 160 Valley bound passenger vehicles were cleared but again shooting stones started and fresh land slides took place as a result the road was again closed.
There is no scope of restoration of road even by tomorrow if the rain continued in next 24 hours as already predicted. They said many passenger vehicles are still stranded between Udhampur, Kud, Batote, Ramban and Banihal besides Qazigund and Lower Munda. Fresh snow fall was going on in Jawahar Tunnel area and the vehicular movement on both sides has been restricted. They said all the vehicles cleared from Ramban area reached Srinagar this evening safely.
They disclosed that nearly 400 vehicles were stranded between Ramban and Udhampur since morning. Vehicles moving from Jammu to Srinagar will be cleared first if the road opened tomorrow. Nearly, one foot snow fall has been reported near Jawahar Tunnel, they added.
Mr Beig, disclosed that Jammu-Batote-Doda-Kishtwar and Doda-Bhaderwah and Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch roads were through. He said the reports of closure of several link roads have been received and the local authorities were engaged in clearance work. Referring to Samba-Nud road blockade, he said that problem was created due to truckers who had wrongly parked their vehicles. Later, the problem was removed by the Traffic cops of the area with the help of local police.
Meanwhile, the Rajouri-Budhal road, Reasi-Dahrmari-Mahore, Mahore -Gool and Mahore- Angrala roads were closed due to land slides and constant rain since yesterday. Several link roads in Udhampur- Dudu-Basantgarh, Ramban and Billawar areas of Kathua were also blocked and the people were facing lot of hardships. Power supply to entire Bani block was snapped since yesterday due to fault in 33 KV Basohli- Bani transmission line. However, Bani road was through for traffic till this afternoon.
SP Airport (Anti-hijacking) Jammu, Ashok Sharma said that due to bad weather two Srinagar bound flights of Go Air and Jetlite were cancelled from Jammu and were re-directed back to Delhi. He said Spice Jet and Indigo flights could operate from Jammu to Srinagar but they were late by two and half hours. Some other flights were also delayed due to bad weather. Mr Sharma disclosed that total 13flights operated from Jammu airport today.
Meanwhile, reports of fresh snowfall have been received from Gulmarg, Uri, Karnah, Kupwara, Gurez, Pahalgam and other areas of Kashmir valley. Nearly, two to three feet snow fall has been reported from certain hilly areas of Kashmir. There has been considerable decline in the day and night temperature in both the regions. Srinagar recorded minimum of 0.6 degree Celsius temperature and maximum 4.2 degree C while Jammu a minimum of 9.3 degree C and maximum 16.1 degree Celsius.
The Meteorology department has forecast light to moderate rain and snowfall at most of the places in the State in next 24 hours. Following heavy snowfall in the hills, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr Asghar Samoon has issued avalanche warning in several hilly areas of Kashmir. The people in these areas have been advised not to move in the avalanche prone areas in next 24 hours.
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