Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Dec 11: Kashmir valley is in a grip of cold wave after fresh snowfall in higher reaches and rains lashed the pains since early this morning.
Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius while as the minimum temperature was recorded as minus 1.7 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg was the coldest place in the Kashmir valley where the day temperature was recorded as zero degrees Celsius while as the minimum temperature was recorded as minus 7.5 degrees Celsius.
Leh in Ladakh was the coldest recorded place in the State where the minimum temperature dipped to minus 12.4 degrees Celsius last night. Kargil district, also in Ladakh, recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees
Reports reaching here said that the higher reaches received fresh snowfall since last night while as the plains were lashed by rains in the morning.
Jawahar Tunnel-linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country remained open despite rains lashing the area since early this morning. The 294-kilometres long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was open to vehicular traffic while as the movement of traffic was slow on Mughal Road was slow due to light snowfall at some places.
A MeT Department official said that many parts of the Kashmir valley received fresh snowfall and rains while as the Ladakh region continued to freeze at sub-zero temperatures. The official said that fresh snowfall was witnessed at North Kashmir ski resort of Gulmarg, Razdan Pass in Bandipora district and Shopian in South Kashmir.
Reports of snowfall have also come from other areas including Mughal Road, Ducksum, Kokernag, Damhal Hanjipora, Danew Kandimarg, Tosa Maidan, Doodhpathri, Najan, Keran, Machil, Tangdhar and Sogam. Besides Srinagar, rains also lashed the district headquarters of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora.
In a weather advisory issued here, A R Zargar, Deputy Director, MeT Department said that the present western disturbance over the State is likely to intensify and will affect the State and adjoining areas from December 12 to December 18 with main activity being on December 13 and 14.
“Due to this weather system, moderate to heavy snowfall/rain over hills will occur at many places of Pir Panjal ranges in Kashmir division and at a few places over Ladakh and higher reaches of Jammu region. Light to moderate rain/snow will occur at many places in plains of Kashmir division and rain/thundershowers in Jammu division. This system is likely to disrupt surface and air transport systems of the State during the above period. Day temperature will fall by 4-5 degrees Celsius and night temperature will rise by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius,” said Zargar.
Keeping weather advisory in view, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon has directed all the Deputy Commissioners, Head of Departments and District Senior Superintendents of Police to activate their men and machinery and be in a state of preparedness, so as to ensure minimum disruption of essential services during the period of the weather disturbance.
The divisional administration would press into service 101 snow clearance machines of Mechanical Engineering Department include 71 snow ploughs, 19 snow cats, 10 snow cutters and one to clear snow from major black topped roads of Valley.
“The snow clearance machines have already been placed at various headquarters in North, South and Central Kashmir. Thirty five machines have been kept at Central Snow Control Room for Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts. Thirty machines have been deployed for Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama. Similarly, 36 machines for Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora, which also include one snow cutter, one plough and one dozer deployed in Gurez Sub-Division, 4 cutters and 4 ploughs at Gulmarg,” said Aamir Ali, OSD with Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir.
Aamir said that Chief Engineer Beacon has been asked to keep machinery in a State of readiness, to clear snow from the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and ensure that the highway remains open. He said that Commissioner SMC, Dr. G N Qasba has been directed to ensure that all dewatering stations are kept in running condition and will also ensure manual snow clearance from lanes and drains in the city.
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