Fresh snowfall, rains lash Kashmir
Jammu-Srinagar highway cleared for one-way traffic
Photo Javed Khan
Srinagar: Many areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall, while intermittent rains continued for the second day today in the plains of the valley, officials said.
Fresh snowfall was recorded in Gulmarg, an official of the MeT office said.
He said the resort recorded about three inches of fresh snowfall till this morning.
The official said there are reports of snowfall in other areas in the higher reaches of the valley like Kupwara, Zojila, Shopian, Gurez and several other areas.
He said the plains in the valley received intermittent rains for the second day today.
Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded the highest rainfall of 51 mm, while Srinagar – the summer capital of the state – recorded 4.2 mm of rainfall.
Meanwhile, vehicular movement on the nearly 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway was restored after it remained suspended for several hours due to a landslide this morning, officials said.
Traffic on the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of India was restored after a nearly three-hour long road clearance operation, traffic department officials said.
They said a landslide had struck the highway in the Maroog area of Ramban around 10:30 am, forcing authorities to suspend traffic.
The traffic on the highway had been restricted to one-way and only Jammu-bound vehicles were allowed on the road from Srinagar this morning.
The officials said that a road-clearance operation was launched despite a drizzle and work was completed within three hours, following which the stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards their destination.
Incessant rain lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including the highway, over the past two days, triggering landslides at several places on the Ramban-Banihal stretch.
On Friday, too, there was a landslide, and the highway was cleared around noon. Traffic was allowed to move from Jammu to Srinagar around 2 pm.
High-altitude areas in the state have experienced moderate snow since March 1, resulting in considerable drop in temperatures.
