Heavy rains and snowfall in the quake-ravaged areas of Kupwara and Baramulla districts in north Kashmir Sunday forced suspension of relief sorties by Indian Air Force and army choppers, adding to the woes of survivors as temperatures in the upper reaches plunged.
Relief operations were disrupted by inclement weather as heavy rains coupled with snow lashed wide parts of the Kashmir Valley including Uri, Tangdhar and Gulmarg during major part of the day Sunday, official sources said in Srinagar.
Airdropping of relief material by army and IAF choppers couldn't take off in the wake of bad weather, even as the government and non governmental organisations continued their efforts to reach out to the affected people.
The rains triggered fresh landslides in Kupwara district blocking the road from Chittarkote to Teetwal, State Roads and Buildings Minister G A Mir, who is camping in Teetwal told PTI over phone.
Mir said the relief operations had been hampered due to the blockades and relief was being reached to the affected areas with the help of coolies.
Assuring that relief would be made available to all at the earliest, he said all the 165 families in Teetwal were expected to be provided with tentage by Monday.
A team of officers from Union Urban Development could not visit Tangdhar Sunday due to snowfall in the hilly areas, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.