Photographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
The Kashmir Valley received fresh snow Sunday that blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway yet again. The blockade of the highway stranded hundreds of vehicles at various points on the highway.
The Border Roads Organisation, which maintains the strategic highway, the only surface link with rest of the country has been working overtime to clear snow and landslips for the traffic.
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With inputs from PTI
Postcards from a snowy Kashmir
Image: A man walks on a snow-covered track in SrinagarPhotographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
A senior officer of the BRO said that 18 inches of fresh snow was recorded on either side of 2.5 km long Jawahar tunnel connecting the Valley with Jammu region, which received snow and heavy rains.
"We are on the job to clear the highway and make it accessible. All the stranded vehicles at various points were cleared by evening and the road will be open to one way traffic by Monday," the officer said.
Postcards from a snowy Kashmir
Image: Children play in snow in SrinagarPhotographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
The north Kashmir tourist resort of Gulmarg received heavy snow in past 24 hours.
The Valley is still short of LPG cylinders and the people are queuing up for receiving refills at various places in capital city.
Postcards from a snowy Kashmir
Image: Women row a boat in Dal LakePhotographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
The Valley, however, has received some respite from intense cold wave it faced in January.
The minimum and maximum temperature has shown an upward trend in past three days bringing much needed relief to the people from cold and heralding the onset of an early spring.
Postcards from a snowy Kashmir
Image: A few of the snow-covered Jhelum bundsPhotographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
"On the basis of information received from Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, the coordinator of the divisional disaster management cell has issued medium danger avalanche warning for the next 24 hours up to 5.00 pm on Monday," an official spokesman said.
Postcards from a snowy Kashmir
Image: The Srinagar-Kupwara RoadPhotographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
A similar alert has been issued in Kishtwar and Banihal areas, south of Pir Panjal Range, and Zojila and Sonamarg on Srinaar-Leh road, he added.
Postcards from a snowy Kashmir
Image: People wait for cylinders as rains lash parts of the ValleyPhotographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
Authorities on Friday issued a medium danger avalanche warning in some areas of north Kashmir but it was extended to other areas of the valley following fresh snowfall on Saturday.
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