Trains delayed, 2 flights diverted due to fog
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 22: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the second consecutive day today as continuous landslides in Digdol area hampered road clearance operation and dashed the hopes of thousands of stranded passengers to reach their destination any time soon.
“Over 4,000 vehicles, including those carrying passengers, were stranded at different places on the highway and they will be cleared on priority once the arterial road is opened for traffic,” officials said.
They said a massive landslide struck the highway at Digdole in Ramban district on Saturday evening, completely blocking it besides causing damage to about 100 metres stretch of the road.
“The men and machinery of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) were on the job to clear the debris but fresh landslides (though of low volume) today keep hampering the road clearance operation,” they said, adding if the weather supports and no new slides occurred, there is some possibility of restoring the traffic by tomorrow evening as efforts are on to ensure early reopening of the road.
“Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed today for traffic due to heavy landslides near Ramban,” SSP Traffic, National Highway, Jatinder Singh Johar said.
Johar added that whenever the highway is restored for traffic, stranded vehicles will be cleared first before restoration of normal traffic.
Truckers and passengers alleged that majority of them are without food and water. There is no urinal and medical facility or shelter available at the places where they have been stopped, they alleged.
Truckers on way to Kashmir alleged that they have been stopped at different places by the traffic authorities for the past 12 days. Similarly, truckers on way to Jammu while carrying fruits said their fruits have rotten as they were stranded for the past 10 days.
The Srinagar-Leh National Highway also remained closed for the past 12 days due to heavy snowfall and slippery road condition, particularly at Sonamarg, Zojila Pass, Meenmarg and Drass. People at Kargil demanded airlifting of students, patients and other passengers to Jammu or Srinagar.
The historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in South Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region also remained closed for the past 12 hours due to accumulation of snow and slippery conditions.
Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Nazim Zai Khan personally monitored the road clearance operation at Digdol area and ensured that all stranded passengers are provided meals besides night shelter at shelter sheds and RAHAT centres.
SSP, Ramban Anita Sharma, ADC, Ramban, Ashok Sharma, DSP Traffic Ajay Anand and various officers of civil and police administration supervised the adequate arrangements for the stay of stranded passengers besides road clearance operation.
The DC also inspected RAHAT centres established by the administration along the National Highway for the stay of commuters in case of blockage of road. He directed the officers to ensure heating arrangements, eatables, sanitation and toilet facility in all RAHAT centres besides other necessary facilities for stranded passengers.
An Airport official said flight operations at Jammu Airport remained normal till afternoon but the last two flights of Vistara and Indigo Airlines (from Delhi) had to be diverted due to poor visibility at Jammu Airport.
“Due to fog in various parts of the country, various trains arrived late at Railway Station Jammu by 2 to 8 hours,” a Railway official said. He added that Train No 22432 (UHP ALD Express), 12919 (Malwa Express) and 11077 (Jhelum Express) arrived late by 1:41 hours, 2:54 hours and 2:20 hours, respectively while Train Number 18101 (Tata Muri) and 12473 (Sarvodaya Express) arrived late by 6:09 hours and 8:11 hours.
A Meteorological department spokesman said that the weather remained mostly dry in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region and will remain dry during the next five days also. However, he said if the sky will remain clear, the minimum temperature would drop.
Interestingly, famed ski resort of Gulmarg in North Kashmir recorded minus 7.6 degree (a surge of about two degrees from yesterday’s minus 9.6 degree) while there was a drop of 3.8 degrees in the minimum temperature at Pahalgam which settled at minus 6.8 degree.
Kupwara, Qazigund and Kokernag witnessed surge in the night temperature. It was 1.3 degeree at Kupwara against yesterday’s minus 1.5 degree, Qazigund recorded 0.2 degree against minus 0.4 degree and Kokernag minus 0.3 against minus one degree recorded yesterday.
Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, in Kargil district was coldest in the region. The minimum temperature was minus 21.6 degree due to which water bodies remained frozen. People in Kargil district were being supplied water through tankers and majority of them are using spring water which remains warm in winter and cold in summer. However, in some areas people used snow after melting it. He said at Leh, the capital of UT Ladakh, the minimum temperature was minus 9.9 degree against yesterday’s minus 9.5 degree.
The weatherman said that night temperature in most parts of Jammu region marked an increase. Jammu city recorded a minimum of 8.7 degrees Celsius, up by almost two degrees from the previous night’s 6.8 degrees Celsius.
The highway town of Banihal, which was reeling under sub-zero temperatures over the past couple of days following fresh snowfall, recorded a low of 0.4 degrees Celsius. Katra, which serves as the base camp for pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, recorded a minimum of 6.2 degrees Celsius against the previous night’s 7 degrees Celsius.
The snow-bound Bhaderwah town in Doda district also recorded a dip in the night temperature which settled at minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest recorded place in Jammu region.
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