Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 14: As Kashmir is still grappling with this week’s heavy snowfall and Government’s poor response to meet the challenge, the Weatherman has forecast fresh freak weather for four days with heavy snowfall early next week.
In-charge Director Meteorological Department, Farooq Ahmad Khan, told Excelsior that fresh western disturbance is approaching the State during the night. “It was in Afghanistan and North Pakistan during the day and will reach here at mid night”, he added.
Khan said that fresh western disturbance will bring heavy rains and heavy snow across the region. “We are heading for another spell of bad weather from March 15 to March 18. It will bring snow and rains at many places on March 15 and 16 but its main activity will be on March 17 and 18. There will be heavy to very heavy snowfall at isolated places on March 17 and 18 across Kashmir. There will be thunder storm and hail storm at isolated places in Jammu”, he added.
This week’s snowfall led to death of 12 persons in avalanches and house collapses and damage to over 2000 houses across the State. The electricity was restored after three days in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley while large parts of Srinagar city and other towns are still waterlogged.
And in the meantime, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway that was closed for traffic on March 11 due to heavy snowfall and rains was re-opened for fresh traffic today after over 6000 stranded vehicles were cleared yesterday.
The Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan told Excelsior that around 6000 vehicles including 3500 load carriers crossed into Kashmir valley this evening from Jammu. He said that around 100 passenger vehicles were also allowed to move towards Jammu from Srinagar. “Traffic will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu tomorrow”, he added.
The highway was closed on March 11 following heavy snowfall and rains that triggered landslides and shooting stones at more than a dozen places, including Penthal, Digdol and Batrey Cheshma. However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, worked round the clock to put through the highway early yesterday morning.
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