Kashmir remains cut off due to heavy snowfall, J-K highway closed

Kashmir remained cut-off from the rest of the country for the second day on Thursday with road and air links to the Valley snapped due to snowfall, the heaviest in a decade in the month of January.

The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed for traffic, while no flights operated from the airport following heavy snowfall on Wednesday. However, there were no reports of fresh snowfall from any part of the Valley during the night.

"The national highway is closed for traffic today. No vehicle will be allowed to ply on the road," a Traffic Department spokesman said.

He said the 294-km arterial highway -- the only road-link between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country -- was being cleared of snow and could be made motorable later in the day.

No flights to and fro Srinagar Airport operated on Wednesday due to continuous snowfall. However, there are chances of the airport being made operational in the afternoon.

"No flight to and fro Srinagar Airport operated in the morning. But there is a possibility of flights operating in the afternoon," an official of the Airport Authority of India said.

The Valley received a fresh spell of snowfall on Wednesday, which was the heaviest in the month of January in the last 10 years.

The snowfall had resulted in slightly improving the minimum temperatures, which brought a much-needed respite to the residents from the intense cold.

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with rest of the country, remained closed for vehicular traffic for the second consecutive day due to snow and slippery conditions.

As a result of snowfall and slippery road conditions, over 900 vehicles are stranded on the 300-km-long highway at various places in Nagrota, Sidhra, Jakhani, Udhampur, Kud, Chenani, Ramban, Banihal and Jawahar tunnel areas, police said.

"Due to the situation and prediction of more snowfall, we did not allow fresh movement of vehicles from both the capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir", officials said.

The J-K highway was closed on Wednesday for the vehicular traffic due to fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions in Jawahar tunnel and Patnitop areas.

The men and machines of Border Roads Organisation are working to clear the highway, but continuous snowfall is hampering the operation, they said.

Roads between Jammu and various places, including Doda, Kishtwar districts, besides inter-districts road and also Mughal road connecting Shopian district of south Kashmir with Poonch district of Jammu division, also remained closed.

Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com