Upper reaches receive fresh snowfall; rains lash plains in Jammu, Kmr valley

TNN Bureau. Updated: 11/14/2018 11:06:02 AM Front Page

Advisor Kumar reviews winter-preparedness in Sgr

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Entire Jammu & Kashmir has come under the grip of cold with upper reaches, including border town of Gurez, in Kashmir valley receiving fresh snowfall while rain lashed plains, resulting in further dip in the day temperature in Kashmir, where wet weather is predicted during the next 48 hours. Besides, almost whole Jammu region is experiencing intermittent rainfall during the last two days.

However, the night temperature improved and settled several degrees above normal at majority of the places in Kashmir valley due to overcast conditions.

Meanwhile, dozens of far-flung and remote villages near the Line of Control (LoC), including border town of Keran and Machil, were on Tuesday cut off from their respective district headquarters due to slippery road conditions following fresh snowfall in north Kashmir.

However, roads leading to border towns of Karnah, Tangdhar in Kupwara and Gurez in Bandipora were through for traffic despite light snowfall.

"The road between Kupwara to border town of Keran was closed due to fresh snowfall since early on Tuesday morning," a Police Control Room (PCR) official told UNI over the phone from Kupwara.

He said the road has become slippery, adding that no traffic movement was allowed to avoid any accident.

Similarly Kupwara-Machil road was also closed due to snowfall, he said, adding Karnah and Tangdhar were still connected to Kupwara town despite light snowfall.

He said dozens of other far-flung and remote villages were also cut off with their tehsil and district headquarters after roads were closed due to snowfall. However, efforts are being made to restore traffic on these roads.

Despite snowfall, he said, the road leading to the border town of Gurez, surrounded by Pakistan-occupied- Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, was through for traffic.

According to sources, people continued to shiver in border town of Kargil, which was the coldest place in the region at minus 6.2 degree, followed by Leh, where the mercury dipped and settled at minus 5 degree.

According to Met Department official, light to moderate rain or snow could occur at many places during the next 48 hours.

"There will be isolated rain or snow on Thursday in Kashmir valley," he said, adding the weather will turn dry from Friday onwards, which could result in dip in the minimum temperature.

Border town of Gurez, which is surrounded from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, received another spell of fresh snowfall since early this morning, resulting in further dip in the maximum temperature.

Zojila pass and some other areas on 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, also received fresh intermittent snowfall since Monday evening. The traffic on the highway has been suspended to avoid accidents following slippery road conditions. After witnessing an improvement of about a degree from Monday, people woke up to a chilly Tuesday morning due to cloudy skies and ice cold winds in the summer capital, Srinagar. But, as the day progressed, rain lashed the summer capital, resulting in further dip in the maximum temperature. Against 2.6 degree recorded on Monday, the night temperature in Srinagar was 3.2 degree, which is 2 degree above normal. On Monday, the maximum temperature recorded in Srinagar was 3 degree below normal.

Rain lashed world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, since Tuesday morning, resulting in dip in the day temperature. The ski resort was the coldest place in the valley after the mercury dipped about a degree from Monday and settle at minus 4 degree, which is about 4 degree below normal. Gulmarg was the only place in the valley which witnessed a sip in the night temperature.

The skies were cloudy in world famous health resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir. However, the upper reaches in Pahalgam, including Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station for Amarnath cave shrine on traditional yatra route, received fresh snowfall. Amarnath cave shine and its periphery besides Sheshnag, Mahagung, Pisso top and Panjterni also received fresh snowfall.

The night temperature in Pahalgam remained constant since Monday at 1.1 degree, which is about 2 degree above normal.

The night temperature in Qazigund, gateway to the valley and Kupwara in north Kashmir also improved and settled at 5.6 degree and 1 degree, respectively.

Meanwhile, Advisor to the Governor, K Vijay Kumar, today chaired a high-level meeting here to review the preparedness of the district administration in case of adverse weather situations.

The meeting was attended by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, IGP Kashmir, SP Pani, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Syed Abid Rasheed, Chief Engineer PDD, Hashmat Qazi, Commissioner SMC, Joint Director Information Kashmir, SSP Srinagar, Director Health Services Kashmir, Director IMD JK Sonam Lotus and other senior officers of the district administration.

DC Srinagar informed the Advisor that he took an elaborate review meeting of R&B, SMC and Power departments after the recent snowfall with men and machinery kept on standby and zonal level control rooms set up to avoid any inconvenience to citizens of the city.

The Advisor asked the administration to use social media liberally to keep people updated about the weather situation. Besides, he was told that sufficient stock of essentials and petroleum products and 42 mobile drinking water tankers have been kept on standby to meet any eventuality.

During the meeting, the SMC Commissioner said 115 mobile pumps and 118 dewatering pumps have been kept on standby to deal with cases of water logging. Officials said new water sprinklers and cattle catching machines are being procured and orders have also been placed for procuring new dustbins to meet their growing requirement for keeping the Srinagar city clean.

IMD’s Sonam Lotus informed the meeting that the weather system has not predicted any major activity in Kashmir Valley till November 21, though there will be scattered rain in plains. He also revealed that the amount of snowfall recorded earlier this month broke the record of 32 years.


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