Alert For Vacationers Visiting J&Ok: Heavy Snowfall Disrupts Life In Kashmir; Flights, Rail Providers Suspended, Jammu-Srinagar Freeway Closed | India Information

SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Valley obtained the season’s heaviest snowfall on Saturday which threw regular life out of substances, affecting air, rail and street site visitors in addition to disrupting energy and water provide, officers mentioned. Chief minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the snow clearance operations in a video convention assembly with all deputy commissioners.

Average to heavy snowfall was recorded throughout Kashmir from Friday, together with the season’s first snowfall in Srinagar metropolis and different plain areas. In South Kashmir, heavy to very heavy snowfall was recorded within the plains, whereas central Kashmir’s plains obtained reasonable snowfall. The plains of North Kashmir obtained gentle to reasonable snowfall, officers mentioned.

The higher areas of the South Kashmir district obtained over two toes of snow, they added. Although the snowfall was welcomed by locals and vacationers, it threw every day life out of substances. The Jammu-Srinagar Nationwide Freeway (NH-44) was closed for site visitors resulting from snow, in keeping with Visitors Division officers. They added that clearance work was hampered resulting from heavy snowfall on the Navyug Tunnel.

Males and equipment are on the job, and commuters are suggested to keep away from journey till the climate improves and the street is cleared, the officers mentioned.

Prepare providers on the Banihal-Baramulla part had been suspended resulting from heavy snow accumulation on the tracks, railway officers mentioned. Efforts to clear the observe are underway, they added.

Air site visitors to and from Srinagar was additionally affected, with flight operations suspended, in keeping with airport officers. “Because of dangerous climate circumstances, all flights at Srinagar Airport have been cancelled. No flight operations have taken place on the airport for the reason that morning resulting from inclement climate,” officers mentioned. Passengers are suggested to contact their airways for updates.

Flight operations have been affected since Friday night. The authorities launched snow clearance operations at district headquarters and whereas a lot of the foremost roads and roads to hospitals had been cleared by morning itself, inside roads had been cleared by midday, the officers mentioned. Abdullah directed the deputy commissioners to personally supervise snow clearance operations, emphasizing the necessity to receive photographic proof of cleared areas to make sure thorough elimination and stop roads from freezing as temperatures drop.

District administrations had been instructed to supply two-hourly updates to the CM’s workplace and the chief secretary’s workplace. The Chief Engineer of Public Well being Engineering (PHE) Division knowledgeable the assembly that 90 per cent of the water provide throughout the valley had been restored, with efforts underway to deal with the remaining 10 per cent, officers mentioned.

The Divisional Commissioner of Jammu reported that energy and water provides in Jammu districts remained unaffected, whereas the chief secretary confirmed regular progress in restoring electrical energy feeders and guaranteed that district hospitals had been functioning easily. The chief minister burdened the significance of making certain 100 per cent attendance of medical doctors and paramedical workers in any respect district and sub-district hospitals to successfully handle emergencies.

Particular directions had been issued to the deputy commissioner of Budgam to coordinate with airport authorities to help stranded vacationers and supply transportation if required, officers mentioned. The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir assured that adequate shares of important commodities, together with meals and different civil provides, had been out there in all districts.

Taking to X, Abdullah mentioned a lot of the dysfunctional energy feeders within the valley had been restored. “Out of forty-one 33KV feeders dysfunctional in Kashmir resulting from heavy snowfall, thirty-seven have been restored and charged. Equally, out of 739 dysfunctional 11KV feeders, 639 have been restored and recharged, bringing main reduction to the valley,” Abdullah mentioned.

He mentioned the vast majority of the remaining feeders had been anticipated to be restored by the night. Abdullah additionally toured a number of areas of Srinagar metropolis and visited his meeting constituency, Ganderbal, to take inventory of the scenario, officers mentioned. He made an unannounced go to to District Hospital Ganderbal and assessed the providers out there to sufferers through the inclement climate and reviewed the supply of important medicines, workers on responsibility, and the performance of the central heating system.

Abdullah interacted with the hospital workers, in addition to sufferers and their attendants. Talking to reporters in Ganderbal, Abdullah mentioned he wished to go to his constituency to make sure that folks didn’t face too many hardships as a result of snow. “I wished to see that the snow clearance operations on roads are sped up, take inventory of hospital and important providers, and the restoration of electrical energy wherever the traces had been snapped,” he mentioned.

In the meantime, minimal temperatures went up by a number of notches throughout the valley, the MeT Division mentioned.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1 diploma Celsius on Friday evening, greater than six levels up from the earlier evening’s low of minus 7.3 levels Celsius, it mentioned. Gulmarg, a city identified for snowboarding actions in North Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5 levels Celsius, whereas Pahalgam, the bottom camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in South Kashmir, registered a minimal temperature of minus 2.8 levels Celsius.

Kashmir is at present underneath the grip of the 40-day ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — thought-about the harshest interval of winter — which started on December 21.