Snowfall in Kashmir valley disrupts road, air movement

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, January 4

Heavy snowfall in Kashmir and mountainous districts of the Jammu region disrupted the road and air connectivity to the Valley on Friday. The weather department has predicted disruptions till Saturday.

The authorities said the traffic on the vital Jammu-Srinagar national highway was crawling and it was restricted to one way from Srinagar to Jammu on Friday afternoon in view of slippery conditions.

Leaving the passengers in the lurch, four flights from Jammu were cancelled and one remained stuck in Srinagar on Friday after Kashmir experienced heavy snowfall.

Jammu airport officials said four flights, including GoAir-287, IndiGo-559, SpiceJet-964 and Vistara-612, were cancelled, while AirIndia-822 remained stuck in Srinagar.

The road connectivity to the Valley was also affected. The movement on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which is already confined to one-way traffic, remained disrupted throughout the day at different places.

“The traffic movement is very slow due to snow. The traffic will be allowed to move from Jammu to Srinagar on Saturday only if the weather suitable,” said the traffic control room at Ramban.

Baseer Ahmad Khan, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has issued a fresh avalanche warning in Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh districts.

Tourists make a beeline for Bhaderwah

Bhaderwah: Bhaderwah, popularly known as mini Kashmir, received fresh snowfall in the upper reaches and rainfall in the plains on Friday. Tourists, who had flocked to Bhaderwah, were awaiting a snowfall.  "We were in Bhaderwah for the past two days and were waiting for a snowfall. Finally, our wait has ended and it has snowed. It's cold here but we are enjoying our holiday," said a tourist, who had come along with his family and friends from Jammu. Another tourist said: "We are here to enjoy the serenity of the place but the snowfall and rain are an icing on the cake, making our short trip to this beautiful valley memorable." Meanwhile, the Bhaderwah Development Authority (BDA) has made all necessary arrangements for the tourists. It is planning to host a two-day winter carnival to attract more tourists. OC

4 flights cancelled

• Leaving the passengers in the lurch, four flights from Jammu were cancelled and one remained stuck in Srinagar on Friday after Kashmir experienced heavy snowfall
• The road connectivity to the Valley was also affected. The movement on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained disrupted throughout the day at different places.