Srinagar-Jammu highway closed again
Weather likely to remain dry till Jan 17: MeT
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Jan 9: Fresh snowfall was experienced on Saturday in Kashmir including Srinagar and its adjoining areas, leading to suspension of vehicular movement on Srinagar-Jammu highway.
Officials said Srinagar recorded 7 cm of snow, Kokernag 6 cms of snow and Qazigund recorded 9 cm of snow today.
At some places in the civil lines, including historic Lal Chowk, roads became slippery due to frozen snow disrupting traffic movement. The authorities were seen using salt to defreeze the frozen snow to make roads safe for drive.
Roof and tree tops, already under about 10 inches of white blanket, received about five inches of fresh snowfall since early this morning. Snow on the roof top had frozen and in some areas icicles could be seen hanging due to minus 4 degree minimum temperature before fresh snowfall this morning in Srinagar.
The Mechanical department had put into service machines to clear the snow on the main roads. However, interior roads and lanes and bylanes remained under snow.
People alleged that interior roads and lanes and bylanes leading to the residence of bureaucrats, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) corporate, and other VIPs have been cleared. However, hundreds of roads remained under frozen snow disruption normal life.
Very less number of passenger and private vehicles were seen on the roads due to slippery road condition. Our vehicles remained parked in the interior parts of the city because the roads remained under snow.
All mainstream political parties, including Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the administration for failing to clear the snow on the roads.
Reports received said that in some areas people contributed and hired tractors and other vehicles to clear snow on their roads. At Sumarbugh colony, people said they contributed Rs 50 each household and paid to a tractor driver to clear the snow on the road.
Meanwhile, Srinagar-Jammu Highway remained closed for vehicular traffic in view of heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions.
Earlier, after remaining closed for five days, authorities had allowed stranded essential supply vehicles including petroleum and gas products from Jammu to Srinagar.
“We have only allowed the essential supplies vehicles towards valley which were stranded at Udhampur sector, which includes petroleum products towards valley,” an official of the traffic control room said.
However no other commercial or passenger vehicle was allowed to ply on Srinagar Jammu National Highway, he said
ADGP Traffic T.Namgyal said no general traffic movement was allowed on Srinagar-Jammu highway. “Only stranded vehicles which included essential supplies were allowed to move towards the valley.”
He said during last two days, over 4500 essential supply vehicles have been allowed to move towards valley.
A traffic police official said subject to fair weather and better road condition, Light Motor Vehicles (passenger) shall be allowed from Jammu towards Srinagar on Jammu-Srinagar road.
The Mughal Road, the alternative road which connects the Valley to Jammu division through Shopian and Rajouri, continued to remain closed for traffic due to heavy snowfall.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director MeT Srinagar Mukthar Ahmad said there is no forecast of any major snowfall and weather is likely to remain mainly dry till January 17. (Additional inputs from KNO, UNI)