Fog hits flight operations at Jammu Airport
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 8: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened for one way traffic after 6th day of its closure due to massive landslides and heavy snowfall while the authorities cleared about 5000 trucks and tankers loaded with essential and other commodities towards Kashmir valley.
Official sources said that though the highway was restored at around 10 am, but the movement of vehicles was allowed after 12 noon as there was massive mud and slush at Samroli near Chenani besides Dalwas and Mehar areas of Ramban. Moreover, road was slippery in Jawahar Tunnel axis during morning hours.
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IG, Traffic J&K, T. Namgyal told the Excelsior that after blasting boulders and removing massive mountain mass at Samroli sliding zone, the highway was restored today. He said a large number of trucks with perishable items destined for Valley, were stranded on the highway besides many loaded LPG / Fuel tankers for the last several days. So, it was decided to clear these vehicles carrying essential commodities first towards Kashmir.
Namgyal further disclosed that at about 6 pm, about 3000 vehicles had crossed Jawahar Tunnel but the movement of vehicles was still going on. He said the tail of this convoy, including those stranded on Dhar Road Udhampur, Mansar-Samba Road and Jammu -Nagrota Bypass , was at Jakheni. It is expected that these vehicles will cross Jawahar Tunnel during morning hours. He said movement of vehicles from Kashmir side will be allowed after clearing stranded vehicles in Jammu areas.
SSP Traffic NH JS Johar said since the road in entire JT axis and also at the landslide zones was still single, therefore, only one- way movement of the vehicles will be allowed on this highway for the next couple of days. He said almost 5000 stranded vehicles in Jammu, Samba, Udhampur and Ramban areas were cleared for Kashmir tonight. The road was slippery at many places due to mud/slush and heavy snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel area and the movement of vehicles was very slow.
Johar said by tomorrow morning, all the stranded vehicles towards Kashmir will be cleared. No fresh movement of vehicles from Jammu or Srinagar side will be allowed on Saturday. But stranded vehicles towards Jammu will be allowed if weather permitted. The people must take up journey only after taking clearance from the Traffic Control Rooms at Srinagar, Jammu and Ramban, he added.
Meanwhile, the flight operations continued smoothly at Srinagar Airport and 29 flights landed and took off from Srinagar Airport today. But in Jammu, the flight operation was hit with the dense fog during morning hours. It delayed the operation of some flights.
In Kashmir minimum temperature dipped today with Gulmarg recording a low of minus 10.0 degree Celsius.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.4 degree Celsius against minus 0.8 degree Celsius on the previous night. The mercury settled at minus 3.3 degree Celsius in Pahalgam against 2.5 degree Celsius on the earlier night, minus 1.8 degree Celsius in Qazigund against 0.2 degree Celsius on the previous night, minus 1.7 degree Celsius in Kupwara while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.6 degree Celsius.
Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
The Weatherman has forecast main dry weather with a possibility of isolated very light rain and snow for the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, a fresh avalanche warning has been issued on Friday afternoon for higher reaches in Jammu , Kashmir and Ladakh regions.
Director Disaster Management, J&K, Aamir Ali said there is a threat of low level avalanche in higher reaches of Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar in Jammu region.
Similar threat has been issued for Anantnag and Kulgam in south Kashmir, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora in north and Ganderbal in central. Low level avalanche has also been issued for border district of Kargil in Ladakh region on Srianagar-Jammu National Highway.
He said people are urged to remain indoors and not to venture in avalanche prone areas. However, in case of any emergency, people could contact local administration
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