70 livestock killed due to lightning
Gopal Sharma/
Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Oct 20: With rain and fresh snowfall at the higher reaches across J&K, several mountainous roads have been closed while a sharp fall in temperature has been experienced in Jammu, Srinagar and other places in the northern region.
While traffic movement on Sonamarg-Dras- Kargil highway, Mughal Road and Bani-Bhaderwah link has been suspended due to fresh snowfall today, the chopper service at Katra Mata Vaishnodevi also remained affected due to inclement weather.
Reports from Srinagar said that higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall while the rains lashed plains today, leading to the closure of major hilly roads in Kashmir and plunging the mercury further.
Early snowfall coupled with heavy rains has led to cold wave across Kashmir forcing people to wear warm clothes and use heating gadgets to keep themselves warm.
With lightning and thunderstorm in hilly area of Thannamandi in district Rajouri, at least 70 sheep/goats and three horses of a nomad family were killed. One member of this family was also injured and was removed to Rajouri hospital.
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Jammu City witnessed about 8.3 degrees Celsius fall in temperature from normal today after rain and snow during last two days. Banihal town’s temperature witnessed a fall of 13.9 degree C while Bhaderwah recorded about 10 degrees fall in temperature from normal today. The people in Jammu took out woolens as the City witnessed minimum temperature of 17.6 deg C.
Reports from Rajouri said that a tribal family suffered huge loss at upper reaches of Thannamandi when lightning struck today. The family travelled from Kousernag at Pir Panjal and reached at Bari Bak, in Thannamandi. They were travelling for the last seven days. The family was camping under open sky when lightning struck livestock, resulting in killing of 27 goats, 40 sheep and three horses.
One person namely, Fazal Hussain was injured and was shifted to PHC Thannamandi for treatment and from where he was referred to GMC Rajouri for treatment. A minor boy, Danish fell unconscious and was also shifted to PHC Thannamandi. He told that incident took place during thunderstorm early hours today.
Police team also reached the spot . Later, Veterinary team from Thannamandi was sent to the spot to assess the damage. Tehsildar Thannamandi Sahil Ali Shah told that as per norms of SDRF, relief will be provided to the family.
Meanwhile, Mughal Road was again blocked after fresh heavy snowfall during intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday at Pir ki Gali on Mughal Road. It was still raining and snowing this evening at Pir Ki Gali.
Official sources said though the snow was removed at long stretch in Poshana and Pir Pass area by the R&B authorities during afternoon but the Traffic Police authorities did not allow movement of vehicles due to slippery road conditions. In the evening again fresh snowfall started and it continued when the last reports came in tonight.
About 1200 trucks and 400 LMVs stranded on the road were already cleared from Poonch side on Wednesday, but the vehicular movement was again suspended after fresh snowfall at Pir ki Gali.
Xen Mughal Road Division, Mohd Shoket said that snow clearance work was taken up in the morning which was completed on both the sides of the Pir Pass during the day but the decision of vehicular movement will have to be taken by the Traffic Police authorities.
Reports from Doda said that due to fresh snowfall on the higher reaches of Bhaderwah today, Basohli- Bani-Bhaderwa road has been closed at Chattergala. With the snowfall at Seoj Dhar and other higher reaches in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch, a sharp fall in the temperature has been witnessed.
Meanwhile, Jammu experienced minimum temperature of 17.6 deg C, Katra 16.4 deg C, Bhaderwah, 8.6 deg, Banihal, 8.0 deg, Batote 9.4 deg, Leh minus 3 deg C and Kargil 0.2 deg C minimum temperature today. From October 21-30, no major forecast of any rain and snowfall has been announced by the MeT officials for J&K.
The Meteorological Department (MeT) has forecast improvement in the weather conditions and said that there is no forecast of a major wet spell till the end of this month.
The famous skiing destination Gulmarg received fresh snowfall, an official in the Meteorological department said adding Tangdhar, Sadhna Top, Gurez, Sonamarg and other areas have also experienced fresh snowfall.
Most of the areas in the plains of the Valley including Srinagar were lashed by rains.
The fresh wet spell also brought down the mercury across the Valley. Srinagar recorded 7.2 degree Celsius today, which is 13.7 degree Celsius below the normal.
Gulmarg was the coldest place in Kashmir today as the mercury settled at 0.6 degree Celsius at the famous ski-resort.
Shopian was the second coldest at 4.9 degree Celsius followed by Pahalgam and Kulgam where a temperature of 5.0 degree Celsius and 5.3 degree Celsius was recorded respectively today.
Deputy Director MeT, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that following improvement in weather conditions this evening, the weather would remain mostly dry till the end of this month.
He said that besides possibility of light rainfall on October 26, the weather would remain mostly dry. He further said that the temperature would go down during morning and evening hours.
Meanwhile, the fresh snowfall also led to the closure of several roads including Sadhna Top, connecting the border town of Tangdar, Mughal Road and other far-flung and remote areas, Kupwara and Gurez.
Sonamarg-Zojila road was also closed after the upper reaches of Zojila in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir received fresh snowfall. “Snowfall in Drass and Sonamarg has led to closure of Sonamarg-Drass road,” an official said.
Moreover, in view of widespread rains snowfall and bad weather conditions, people of Tehsil Larnoo and outside tourists have been advised to refrain from venturing in landslide and shooting stone prone areas, an advisory issued by Tehsildar Larnoo said.
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