Fayaz Bukhari/ Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Feb 11: While fresh avalanche warning has been issued by the Divisional Administration after heavy snowfall in parts of Kashmir, the continuous rain, land slides and snowfall blocked Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH), Doda-Kishtwar and Jammu- Poonch road today.
The air traffic was also badly affected due to snow at the Srinagar airport, while two flights operating from Jammu airport were cancelled whereas, another one was diverted to Amritsar due to bad weather. The chopper service to Katra Mata Vaishnodevi was also suspended due to fresh snowfall at Trikuta hills and the bad weather today.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Asgar Samoon, this evening issued medium danger level avalanche for snowbound areas of Kashmir after heavy snowfall in the hills of Kashmir and light snowfall in the plains.
“There is medium level danger of avalanches in Qazigund, Shopian, Chowkibal-Tangdhar, Taya, Ragini, Puttakhan, Zunegund, Malai, Pharkiyan, Keran Sector, Bandipora Rajdhan, Gulmarg, Neeru, Burab, Chakwali, Naugaon, Kaiyan, Radha TMG, Padam, Zebra, Patlala, Z-Gali, Macchal, Dhudi, Tsuntwarl, Drass Sector, Kargil Sector and Higher reaches of Kulgam and Anantnag districts in Kashmir division”, the Divisional Commissioner said here.
The people living in these areas have been advised not to venture in steep avalanche prone slope during next 24 hours. “People are also advised to keep cleaning the snow from roof top of their houses to avoid any casualty due to roof collapse”, the avalanche advisory reads.
People in avalanche prone areas of in the higher reaches of Pir Panjal range in Surankote and Mandi tehsils have also been advised not to venture out due to medium level danger of avalanches.
Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Viplov Kumar, told Excelsior that Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for traffic this morning after heavy snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop areas and mudslides at various places. He said around 400 vehicles mostly trucks are stranded on the highway and efforts are being made to clear them.
Around one and a half feet snow has accumulated on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel and seven inches at Patnitop. This forced the Traffic police to close the National Highway for traffic. The snow at Patnitop was cleared this evening, however, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) will try to clear snow from the highway early in the morning before the Traffic police will take the call on the re-opening of the National Highway.
The rains triggered massive slides at Sherbibi, Panthyal, Digdol, Anokhi Fall, Battery Chasma, Marog, Seeri, Mehar and Nashri. The slides were cleared by the BRO, however, slides at Sherbibi are yet to be cleared as rains continue in the area which are triggering more slides.
The closure of the National Highway at various places has left around 400 vehicles stranded on the highway between Udhampur and Banihal. Around 250 trucks are stranded at Banihal and around 100 Kashmir bound passenger vehicles are stranded between Ramsu and Banihal. At Sheerbibi 25-30 Jammu bound passenger vehicles are stranded due to landslides.
Earlier, since last night it has been snowing in the hills of Kashmir and at Peer Ki Gali around 3 feet snow had accumulated, one ft at Gulmarg and over two feet along Line of Control (LoC).
It was raining intermittently during the night and till noon in most parts of the plains of the Valley. However, in the afternoon it started snowing in most parts of Valley bringing down the temperature to 5.3 degree Celsius in Srinagar.
In the Kund area of district Kulgam, police and Army tonight asked the people to leave the area as there is threat of avalanches after snowfall. They have been asked to shift to safer places.
In the meantime, Director General of Police, K Rajendra today directed the senior police functionaries in Kashmir to assist the civil administration and the people in snowbound areas to ease the problems of common masses.
Rajendra, in a communiqué, alerted the range Deputy Inspectors General of Police and all District Superintendents of Police to work with the civil administration and local bodies in the snowbound areas in clearance of roads leading to the hospitals and other important places. The DGP issued instructions to work with the civil administration and make functional police control rooms round the clock so that the problems of the people are eased.
Continuous rain in many parts of Jammu region since last night and the snow fall on the higher reaches has resulted into sharp fall in the temperature besides paralyzing normal life.
Due to snowfall at Patnitop the National Highway besides Batote-Kishtwar road have been blocked. Traffic on Jammu- Poonch highway at Bhimber Gali was also suspended after fresh snowfall this evening. About 7-8 inch snowfall was witnessed at Patnitop. The snowfall was continuing when the last reports came in.
A senior Traffic official told the Excelsior that movement of traffic from Udhampur and Ramban towards Doda-Kishtwar and Srinagar was stopped this evening following heavy snowfall and landslides. He said the road at Patnitop and ahead of Banihal up to Tunnel area and Lower Munda was slippery due to fresh snow fall. The movement of all type vehicles has been stopped.
He further disclosed that about half a dozen landslides have occurred between Batote and Banihal due to heavy rain this afternoon. Most of the passenger vehicles were cleared but nearly 70 light and medium passenger vehicles have been stranded at Banihal and Ramban and the passengers have been accommodated at different places. He said fresh landslides took place at Panthial, Sher Bibi, Digdol, Chambalbas, Nashri, Nehad and Battery Chashma area. The men and machinery of the GREF was busy in clearing road. He disclosed that traffic between Kud and Batote was also closed this evening after fresh snowfall at Patnitop. The traffic for Doda-Kishtwar will be cleared tomorrow after snow clearance in this area.
Reports from Poonch and other areas said that due to fresh snowfall at Bhimber Gali the movement of vehicles on Poonch road was also suspended at around 7 pm. The movement of vehicles will be allowed only after snow clearance in the morning. Similarly, Mahore-Gool road was also blocked due to snowfall at Dhaggan top. The reports of snowfall on Bani-Loang- Sarthal road and Machhedi in Billawar area of Kathua have also been received. Bhaderwah also received fresh snow fall today but Doda- Bhaderwah road was operational till this evening.
An official spokesman at Jammu Airport said that two flights of Go Air and Indigo were cancelled while another one was diverted to Amritsar today due to bad weather. He said that evening flight to Delhi was also delayed by an hour. He said at Srinagar airport also some flights could not land due to snowfall. Chopper service to Katra Mata Vaishnodevi also remained suspended due to bad weather and snowfall at Trikuta hills.
A Met spokesman said that Jammu recorded a maximum temperature of 18.6 degree C while it was 21 degree C yesterday. The minimum temperature in the winter capital remained 10.4 degree C. Katra town recorded a minimum temperature of 8.5 degree C and maximum 16 degree, Bhaderwah maximum 4.9 degree C and minimum 1.1 degree C while Banihal maximum 7.3 degree C and minimum 0.2 degree C. The Met official has predicted light to moderate rainfall at many places in the State in next 24 hours besides snowfall at the higher reaches of Jammu region.
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