Jammu-Srinagar NH closed after snowfall in Ramban
JAMMU: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed for traffic on Friday after snowfall in Jawahar tunnel area in Ramban district that left over 1,000 vehicles stranded, an official said.
The 270-km highway is the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Traffic was stopped at 5.30pm on the highway after snowfall near Jawahar tunnel. There was 3 to 6 inches of snow near Jawahar tunnel this evening and nearly 1,000 vehicles have been stranded between the Tunnel and the Ramban sector, the official said. Earlier, traffic jams were witnessed on the highway, causing inconvenience to commuters. “Due to foggy weather and slippery road conditions, especially on either ends of the Jawahar Tunnel and in Ramban district, long traffic jams were witnessed,” a police official said.
12 FLIGHTS AT SRINAGAR AIRPORT CANCELLED
Twelve flights to and from the Srinagar airport were cancelled due to bad weather conditions, officials of the Airport Authority of India said, as most parts of Kashmir experienced a fresh spell of snowfall on Friday.
Out of 25 scheduled flights for the day, only 13 operated to and fro the Srinagar airport in the morning while the rest 12 flights were cancelled later in the day due to bad weather, they said.
Srinagar experienced intermittent light snowfall and rains in the afternoon, while the high altitude areas of Kashmir witnessed moderate snowfall, the fourth of this season so far.
Meanwhile, the Vaishno Devi Yatra continued on Friday despite cold wave in the region.
Bhawan tehsildar Duni Chand said, “The Trikuta hills were lashed by moderate rains on Friday and the temperatures plummeted further but the pilgrimage remained unaffected. Over 14,000 pilgrims had paid obeisance on Thursday and on Friday the figures crossed 15,000 mark.”
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday ordered a 10-day-long winter vacation from December 30 in all schools up to the higher secondary level in Jammu region. Citing an order issued by the School Education Department, an official spokesperson said all the government and private schools up to the higher secondary level falling in the summer zone of Jammu division will observe winter vacation from December 30, 2019 to January 8, 2020.
Meanwhile, the night temperatures in Jammu continued its downward spiral after the recent snowfall. The MeT department has forecast widespread rain and snow in J&K and at isolated places in Ladakh for the next two days. The night temperature in most parts of the two Union territories saw a dip, with Drass belt of Ladakh recording the lowest temperature of minus 16.1°C, while Banihal belt in Jammu region was the coldest area in the region at minus 1.5°C and Kashmir’s Gulmarg at minus 6.5°C.
Jammu witnessed a low of 8.2°C, a MeT official said.
Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, registered a night temperature of 5°C, up from previous night’s 4.6°C.