The normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley on Sunday a day after moderate snowfall wreaked havoc in the region disrupting power supply and traffic movement and causing massive damage to orchards in the countryside.
The vital roads linking the Valley with the outer world including the strategic Srinagar Jammu national highway remained closed for the second consecutive day. The highway remained closed due to landslides triggered by incessant rains during intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
This was the season’s first snowfall in the region and unexpected in the beginning of November. The residents resorted to heavy woolens to fight the spine-chilling cold wave.
Even as the authorities pressed in men and machinery to restore essential services, most areas in the countryside remained without power supply for the second consecutive day. The power supply was restored in several parts of the summer capital Srinagar.
Reports of damage to fruit orchards and crops in south, central and northern areas of Kashmir, have been received. The orchadists and farmers said the unexpected snowfall damaged their fruits and crops.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement said that preliminary reports received from various Fruit Associations including Anantnag suggest that losses upwards of Rs 500 crore have been incurred and irreparable damage caused to trees, plantations and orchards. “We appeal to the whole community to stand behind our brothers in distress and extend support in whatever manner possible,” the statement said.
Advisor to Governor Khurshid Ganai has issued directions to the horticulture department to immediately assess the losses suffered by the fruit growers and orchardists due to untimely snowfall in the Kashmir valley.
While tourists present in Kashmir Valley have been enjoying the substantial snowfall at Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and other tourist places, the local people particularly those living in far flung areas are facing various difficulties in the shape of disruption in water and electric supply.
Residents are also experiencing more cold in view of absence of electric supply to use room heaters and other gadgets. The mobile internet services are also affected in some areas in Srinagar and elsewhere following heavy snowfall.
In view of heavy snowfall, the business establishments, markets and private offices also curtailed their activities.
Authorities have established control rooms at district headquarters. Fresh snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of the State while heavy rains lashed the plains on Saturday. Fresh snowfall occurred in Zojila Pass, Drass, Kargil, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg during intervening night of Friday and Saturday while rains lashed the plains of the valley and the Jammu division during this period.
Traffic Officials said only Durbar Move vehicles had been scheduled to move on Saturday and Sunday from Srinagar to Jammu.
Around 120 truck drivers were earlier rescued from Mughal Road since its closure on Friday. More than 100 vehicles are still stranded on the Road in south Kashmir’s Shopian district connecting Jammu province through Rajouri district.
The MeT Department Director Sonam Lotus predicted that rainfall in plains and snowfall in higher reaches will recede and weather would start improving Sunday afternoon. He said the weather will significantly improve from Monday.
Meanwhile, over 300 Jammu bound passengers including dozens of security personnel were rescued Saturday night after they were caught in heavy snowfall near Jawahar tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The stranded passengers were lodged in Sarais, hotels, Shelter Sheds, and religious places at Banihal. Security personnel were lodged at Army camp in Banihal town.
National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the massive damages suffered to apple orchards following heavy snowfall across the valley.
“The state government must depute revenue teams to the affected districts and assess the losses so that they are compensated forthwith,” he said.
Chief Engineer PDD Kashmir, Hashmat Qazi, said that “heavy” snowfall in the Valley has resulted in trees with thick foliage coming down heavily on electrical lines, damaging most of the 33KV lines.
He said intermittent rainfall and heavy snowfall led to frequent faults in the electrical system affecting supply in most parts of the uptown and civil line areas of Srinagar.