Gopal Sharma/
Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Feb 23: Rain and snowfall continued across the State on the third consecutive day today resulting into closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway besides several other link roads and damage to several houses and shops while several flights were affected and a youth was killed in lightning during thunder storm in Budhal area of Rajouri.
Over 1500 trucks and other goods carriers have been stranded on the National Highway between Samba-Mansar, Dhar Road, Udhampur and Ramban besides Jammu-Nagrota-Bypass. Fresh avalanche warnings have been issued in many snow bound areas of Kashmir while a sharp decline in the temperature has been witnessed in the region.
Inclement weather and rain has badly hit the normal life in the State including operation of flights. The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was blocked between Batote and Banihal at least at six places due to land slides besides snow fall in Jawahar Tunnel area. It has also affected the operation of normal flights at Jammu and Srinagar airports and chopper service between Katra and Sanji Chhat at Mata Vaishndevi shrine. Many Srinagar bound flights were delayed by two to three hours today from here and Go Air flight was cancelled.
Fresh snow fall in the 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.
Reports said due to land slides and shooting stones at Seri, Dalwas near Nashri, Panthal, Magarkote and two other locations ahead of Ramban on Jammu -Srinagar National Highway, the movement of vehicular traffic came to halt. Over 1500 trucks and other goods carriers besides 300 to 400 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. About 60 to 70 stranded passenger vehicles were cleared by the Traffic police authorities in Banihal area but due to fresh snow fall at Tunnel and shooting stones, the highway was again closed. Many passengers and Kashmir bound vehicles have been stranded at Jammu Bus Stand and these people are facing lot of hardships. Many of them were lying in the Veranda of the Bus Stand complex in the chilling cold and they demanded that they should be airlifted.
Today again blockade was witnessed on Samba- Mansar road due to uneven parking of the Kashmir bound trucks. The traffic cops and local police men later swung into action and restored order on the highway. A large number of passenger and other private vehicles remained caught in traffic jam today again at the same place. Many school and college going students and Government employees faced problems. 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-Bafliaz, Mandi- Loran, Rajouri, Thanna Mandi, Budhal, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Reasi, Gool-Mahore, Dudu-Basantgarh, Landhar- Pancheri and Bani areas of of Jammu region.
Many link roads between Basohli and Bani, Ramnagar and Dudu-Basantgarh, Thanna Mandi-Bufliaz-Poonch, Mandi -Loran, Rajouri Budhal, Reasi-Mahore-Gool, Ramban-Gool, Maggarkote- Ukhral, Billawar- Katli, Machedi and several others in Doda and Kishtwar have been closed. Batote -Doda road also remained blocked for several hours today, however, traffic was restored on it within 2-3 hours.
Due to lightning and thunder storm in Budhal area of Rajouri late last evening, a villager namely Mohd Kabir (27), son of Abdul Rashid, resident of Manthan Gabar in Budhal was killed. The mishap took place when the youth was standing in his compound. He was trapped in strong flash light from sky and died on the spot. He was married hardly seven months back.
Reports from Gool-Mahore area said that three shops of Roshan Din, son of Ghulam Ali, Abdul Rashid , son of Ghulam Ali and Bahar Din, son of Sandhu Malik, residents of Ladda were collapsed in rain and snowfall in Gool Ghulabgah area today. Extensive damage and loss has been suffered by Roshan Din who had stocked rice, sugar and cement bags in the shop.
Basohli-Bani road was closed last night due to land slides at Magiar and Kardoh area. A large number of vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the road. Power supply to entire Bani and Duggan block has been affected for the last three days and it could not be restored even today. Kutcha house of one Jumma, collapsed due to heavy rain at Nagri in Kathua today. However, no loss of life has been reported. Some house hold articles were buried under the debris. Another house was partially damaged in Kotranka area of Rajouri. Some cattle were injured but no loss of human life was reported.
Meanwhile, Ramban police rescued two families and their live stock with the help of locals at Mavalkote in Sangaldan area after their houses collapsed due to heavy rain today. The victims have been identified as Shamima Begum, wife of late Ahmed Din and Ashiq Hussain Shah. The power supply to many areas has also been affected due to rain and inclement weather.
IGP Traffic Muneer Khan told the Excelsior that National Highway has been blocked between Ramban and Banihal at several places due to land slides and shooting stones besides snow fall at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop. He said during afternoon single road was restored by BRO men in Banihal and Ramban area and about 180 Valley bound passenger and goods carriers were cleared but again shooting stones started and fresh land slides took place as a result the road was again closed. He said many vehicles are still stranded between Udhampur, Kud, Batote, Ramban and Banihal besides Qazigund and Lower Munda. Fresh snowfall, measuring 1.6 feet has been reported in Jawahar Tunnel area and the vehicular movement on both sides has been stopped. He said 300 vehicles were stranded between Banihgal- Ramban and Udhampur. Vehicles moving from Jammu to Srinagar will be cleared first if the road opened tomorrow, he added.
DIG Traffic Jammu Shakeel 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. He said Batote -Doda road remained blocked near Baggar and Koda Pani for about 2 to 3 hours and traffic was restored after GREF people removed boulders from the road. He said Basohli-Bani road was also closed last night and is likely to be cleared by tomorrow. He disclosed that nearly 1500 trucks and other goods carriers were stranded on the highway for the last two days.
In Srinagar, the summer capital of State, people woke to witness thick blanket of snow this morning. Around 4-5 inches of snow accumulated in Srinagar resulting in the water logging in several areas as it started melting soon. Fresh snowfall led to drop in temperature with Srinagar recording a low of Zero degree Celsius and high of 3.6 degree Celsius. The fresh snowfall also led to major power break down in many areas of city for long. Gulmarg witnessed nearly 1.6 ft snowfall, Pahalgam one foot, Gurez 7 inches, Tangmarh one foot and Baramulla town 2 inches. Jammu record a minimum temperature of 9.5 degree Celsius while maximum 13.8 degree Celsius today.
Meanwhile, 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. He also reviewed snow clearance operation in several areas. He said 39 damaged transformers were restored on priority in affected areas.
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