Power supply to many areas still snapped, body recovered from snow
Fayaz Bukhari/Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Jan 9: The flight operations at Srinagar airport were resumed today with the improvement in weather while authorities restored one way traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway late this evening.
The power supply to many remote and snowbound areas across the region was still snapped, but braving snow and harsh winter conditions, the PDD staff was working on war footing to restore electricity supply.
Chopper service to Katra Mata Vaishnodevi and normal Yatra on both the routes were also resumed today besides operation of Battery car to the Shrine.
SSP National Highway, Shabir Malik said that one way traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway was restored at around 7 pm this evening. He said stranded vehicles are being allowed to move towards Jammu. Cafeteria and Maroog landslides have been cleared. There was still light rain in the area. No movement of passenger vehicles will be allowed overnight.
“Tomorrow morning if weather remained fair, movement of LMVs from both, Srinagar and Jammu side will be allowed. After clearing these vehicles in Ramban sector, stranded loaded heavy vehicles at Jammu and Udhampur will be allowed to move towards Kashmir. The authorities have also cleared Batote-Doda-Kishtwar and Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway,” he added.
-Excelsior/Tilak Raj
The dead body of Santosh Kumar (32), son of Tara Chand, resident of Nukhanka, Pattangarh in Latti Tehsil of Udhampur district was recovered from snow while about a dozen more houses were collapsed in the region due to heavy snow and rain since last night.
Official sources said as the weather improved and the Meteorological Department forecasts dry weather for next one week, flight operations at Srinagar Airport resumed today.
Weatherman forecast dry weather till January 16 at most places in Jammu and Kashmir. “As expected, weather improved significantly in J&K. Light rain and snow may occur at scattered places in J&K, especially over eastern parts during the next 24 to 48 hours,” an official of the MeT department said.
“Thereafter, weather is likely to remain dry till January 16,” he said, adding that there would be gradual rise in day temperature and fall in night mercury. The MeT also urged people putting up in snowbound areas to be wary of avalanches.
“Although, snowfall has ceased, still threat of avalanche exists in snowbound areas. So, people are once again requested not to venture in avalanche prone areas and remain cautious especially during next 1-2 days. Our data shows that most avalanches are triggered during intense heavy snowfall,” the official said.
He also urged people to maintain proper ventilation in their rooms.
The flight operations resumed at Srinagar international airport as 28 flights took off while five others were cancelled.
Early morning, airport authorities cleared thin layer of snow on runway to prevent aircraft from skidding. “We had 33 flights scheduled today, 28 flights operated and 5 were cancelled”, the Director AAI Srinagar said.
Since January 4th, there were 134 flight cancellations at the Srinagar Airport. 134 were cancelled from Srinagar only and 268 to and from Srinagar.
“The passengers of all those flights are being accommodated now. The new bookings will open after clearing the backlog,” the AAI said.
“From Jammu airport almost all the flights operated normally today as the weather remained mainly clear today,” an official from AAI said.
With the improvement in weather the night temperature recorded a drop with mercury settling at minus 10.0 degree Celsius at Gulmarg today.
Srinagar recorded a low of 0.3 degree Celsius against previous night’s 0.2 degree Celsius. It was 2.1°C above normal for this time of the year.
Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai Baccha’.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 0.4 degree Celsius against 0.0 degree Celsius the previous night. Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 1.8 degree Celsius against minus 0.2 degree Celsius the previous night. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.3 degree Celsius against minus 0.9 degree Celsius the previous night. Kupwara recorded a minimum of minus 0.6 degree Celsius against 0.0 degree Celsius the previous night.
Jammu recorded a minimum temperature of 6.8 degree Celsius, Banihal -4.4 deg C, Batote -1.8 degree C, tourist resort Bhaderwah -0.2 degree C while Katra town 5.2 degree C temperature today. From tomorrow onward MeT official has predicted dry weather in Jammu for the next four days.
Leh recorded a low of minus 6.1 degree Celsius against last night’s 9.7 degree Celsius while mercury at Kargil settled at minus 7.0 degree Celsius and minus7.3 degree Celsius was recorded at Drass.
Meantime, Border Security Forces (BSF) today airlifted three patients including two ladies and a kid to the district headquarters Kupwara from snow-bound Tangdhar sector for medical attention.
An official said that on the request of district administration Kupwara, BSF evacuated three patients for medical attention from Tangdhar sector as the only road connecting the area with district headquarters remains closed.
Police today rescued an 18-year-old deaf and dumb boy, Tariq Ahmad Lone son of Abdul Kareem from Baduaab village of Tulial who went missing on Saturday amid heavy snowfall in Gurez area of Bandipora district. He was rescued by the police and locals today following a nightlong rescue operation.
Due to incessant rain and snowfall for the last 36 hours, police and Army rescued passengers of nearly 200 vehicles in Bhimber Gali, in Mendhar sub-division of Poonch district. About 500 people were stranded there for long.
On Saturday night, the police received an information that long queues of vehicles for hours together had been formed due to snowfall in BG sector. On the directions of SSP Poonch Rohit Baskotra, SDPO Mendhar Zaheer Abhas Jafri and DySP Traffic launched a rescue operation along with the jawans, in which people trapped in vehicles were rescued safely.
Reports said that power supply to many snow bound areas of Udhampur, Doda, Ramban, Reasi-Mahore-Gool, Poonch and Rajouri could not be restored. In Pancheri and Latti towns of Udhampur, the power was restored this evening but dozens of snow clad villages were still without power supply. Similarly, many areas of Mandi, Loran, Sawjian in Poonch, Thannamandi, Kandi-Budhal, Khawas, Sungri-Chassana, Gulabgarh in Rajouri and Reasi were without electricity. Several villages of Machhedi, Lohai-Malhar, Taggar in Bani Sub Division were still under darkness.
A senior PDD officer claimed that scores of transformers and poles have been damaged and cables broken due to snowfall. The work on war footing was in progress. In City and town areas over 90% of transformers have been replaced. By next 2-3 days the other transformers will also be repaired or replaced.
The road clearance work in snow bound areas has also been launched by the authorities but many link roads are yet blocked. Pancheri, Latti, Bhaderwah and Gandoh roads were cleared by this evening. The road from Kishtwar to Sarthal village has also been cleared but villages like Ghan and Chandali are still cut off besides many Chattroo and Paddar area villages.
A NHAI spokesman said that the highway has been cleared from Jammu- Ramban, though it is single-way at some places i between Ramban and Banihal.
“The road was also cleared at Cafeteria Morh and Marog where continuous loose debris were flowing down, hampering the restoration work. The work to fully restore the damaged steel tunnels at Panthiyal, Magerkote and clear debris/ boulders at Khooni Nallah and Panthyal was also completed in the evening.
He said the highway from snow-covered Ramsu to Banihal was cleared but it was slippery and only a single carriageway.
“From Banihal to Railway Chowk, the road is single, while both tubes of Qazigund-Banihal tunnel are available for single carriageway with snow clearance work in progress,” he said.
The officials said the helicopter service to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills resumed early today with winter Sun making its appearance after five days, much to the relief of the people who were reeling under intense cold.
However, the battery car service remained suspended and but later resumed in the afternoon. The yatra is being carried out smoothly now.
Meanwhile, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, has postponed the Ph.D entrance test, scheduled for January 12, by three days.
“In view of the inclement weather conditions and repeated requests of the candidates from the valley, the Ph.D entrance test has been postponed and will now be held on January 15 at the same time and venue as notified earlier,” Dean, Academic Affairs of the university, Prof Iqbal Parvez said.
Meanwhile, a house was completely damaged due to snowfall in Bedar Panchayat of Poonch district. Reports said that few houses in far flung areas of Poonch are partially damaged due to snowfall and administration was collecting the data.
Officials said that one house of Irshad Ahmed, son of Zabra in Ward number 3 of Bedar Panchayat in Mandi Block was damaged completely today, a day after heavy snowfall.
The house was having three rooms, one cattleshed and the roof of this house got completely damaged due to snowfall.
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