One dies in house collapse, 2 rescued
Blackout in 50% snowbound, rural areas
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 8: A teen- aged girl was buried alive while two other members of the family were rescued after their muddy house collapsed last night in Billawar area of Kathua, whereas, traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was restored after three days of rain and snowfall this afternoon.
Due to massive snowfall, scores of link roads in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Udhampur, Reasi, Poonch and Kathua districts were still closed while power supply in more than 50% of snowbound and rural areas of Jammu region has been snapped. With this, the water supply to these places has also been affected.
SSP Traffic National Highway, JS Johar told the Excelsior that the highway was partially restored at around 3 pm today and nearly 800 vehicles towards Kashmir were cleared, despite slippery road conditions and frequent shooting stones at Mompassi, Digdol and Panthial areas of Ramban sector.
Johar said about 70 stranded heavy vehicles also crossed Jawahar Tunnel in the evening but due to massive slippery road conditions at North of Jawahar Tunnel, the movement of vehicles was stopped. He said tomorrow morning, if the weather remained fair, movement of stranded vehicles towards Kashmir will be allowed. There will be no movement of vehicles from Kashmir side or fresh movement of heavy vehicles from Jammu side, he added.
The SSP said that Kud-Patnitop-Batote Road was also closed due to one and half feet snow. The road is likely to be cleared by tomorrow. He advised the tourists and other people not to venture towards Patnitop or Natha Top till the road is fully cleared.
Reports from Kathua said that 14-year-old Manisha was burtied alive under the debris when the kutcha house of one Sita Ram collapsed at Kalooka village in Malhar block of Billawar last night.
The mishap took place when it was raining and the family was fast asleep. Her mother, Chanchla-45, and elder sister -Sheela (19), were trapped under the debris and were later rescued by the villagers. With serious injuries, they were shifted to Billawar hospital.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua, OP Bhagat has announced Rs 4 lakh exgratia-relief in favour of deceased’s family.
Meanwhile, the night temperature in Kashmir remained close to freezing point today due to recent snowfall, even though sun shone on the Valley after three days.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius temperature last night, almost same as previous night, a MET spokesman said.
He further said that the ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded the low of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius last night, 1.6 notches down from Tuesday. The night temperature at Pahalgam resort, settled at a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius – nearly two notches up from minus 3.9 degrees Celsius Tuesday.
Qazigund – the gateway to the Valley – in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.4 degree Celsius,Kokernag town registered a low of minus 4.0 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in north Kashmir, had a minimum of minus 2.2 degree Celsius temperature, the official said.
He said Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ – the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably. He said ‘Chillai-Kalan’ began on December 21 and ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold), he added.
Meanwhile, in the winter capital city also the sun shone during afternoon, bringing some respite to the people from chilling cold conditions. The day temperature also shown considerable improvement with this. But in the evening again, the sky turned cloudy.
Jammu recorded a maximum temperature of 14.3 degree Celsius and minimum 7.7 deg C, Bhaderwah maximum 3.4 deg C and minimum minus 0.7 deg C while Katra town maximum 12 deg C and minimum 5.3 degree Celsius today.
Leh recorded a maximum temperature of 0.0 deg C and minimum minus 9.6 deg C while Drass had maxmum minus 4.8 deg C and minimum 10.7 deg C temperature.
Bhaderwah town, Batote, Patnitop, Latti and Dudu areas experienced about one to one and half feet snowfall while many roads like Bani-Basohli, Mahore-Gool, Sudhmahadev-Latti-Dudu-Basantgarh- Ramnagar, over a dozen roads in Bhaderwah Sub Division, Bhallessa, parts of Kishtwar, Doda, Banihal, Gool- Gulabgarh, Loran- Mandi, Sawjian and Bafliaz, Thannamandi,Budhal etc have been closed.
Power supply to about a scores of villages in Surankote, Mendhar, Mandi, Budhal, Mahore, Gool-Gulabgarh, Bani, Duggan, Machhedi, Lohai -Malhar, snowbound aras of Ramban, Banihal, Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar has been snapped. While in some towns, the power was restored this evening.
Chief Engineer, PDD EM&RE Jammu, Sudhir Gupta said that supply system has sufferted damage at many places due to rain and snowefall for the last three-four days. He claimed that power to main towns has been restored but about 25-50 % rural and snowbound areas are still affected. He said PDD staff was on the job and power is likely to be restored in most of these areas within next 2 days.
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