M A I N   N E W S

Srinagar-Jammu highway closed
Heavy snow in upper reaches

Srinagar, December 14
The Valley was cut off from the rest of the country following the closure of the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to fresh snow in the higher reaches and heavy rains in the lower areas, even as cold wave conditions disrupted life in the state.

Confirming that the only road link between the Valley and the rest of the country was closed, a senior police official said no vehicle was allowed to leave Jammu or Srinagar this morning and the Border Roads Organisation had been pressed into service to clear the highway. He said only stranded vehicles would be allowed to proceed towards their respective destinations in case the road was reopened.

Meanwhile, reports reaching here said hundreds of vehicles, including trucks with essential commodities and fruits besides passenger vehicles, were stranded on either side of the highway.

The snow had also affected the road link to other areas of Doda district from Banihal.

Gulmarg has experienced about one feet of fresh snowfall since last evening.

CHANDIGARH: Snow and rain continued to lash parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh for the second day on Sunday while most places in Punjab and Haryana enjoyed a sunny weather.

The upper reaches of Himachal received fresh snow with Dhund getting covered by 16 cm of snowfall and Patsio getting 9 cm of snowfall until Sunday morning, Meteorological Department sources said.

While the tribal areas of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Pangi in Himachal reeled under biting chill, Shimla, Manali, Sundernagar, Bhuntar and Solang Nullah were lashed by showers.

Chandigarh, Ambala, Rohtak, Kurukshetra, Hisar, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ropar and Patiala enjoyed sunny weather, providing respite to the people from the chill. The night temperatures in Punjab and Haryana witnessed a slight increase on Sunday.
— UNI, PTI