Valley cut off from rest of country for second consecutive day

Kashmir Valley remained cut off from rest of the country for the second consecutive day today, due to continued rainfall in plains and snowfall in upper reaches.

The snowfall, which was going on intermittently since yesterday, disrupted air traffic and road traffic on the national highway, thereby cutting the Valley's connection with the rest of the country.

"There has been no air traffic to and fro Srinagar even today but we hope the flights will resume in the afternoon," an official at the Srinagar International Airport said.

The 294-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which was closed for the traffic due to fresh snowfall and landslides yesterday, remains shut even today as few places along the route received intermittent rain and snow.

"The highway is closed for traffic. The road is being cleared off the debris of landslides and a decision on resumption of traffic will be taken after assessing the safety of the road," a Traffic Control Room spokesperson said here.

Following snowfall yesterday, the authorities postponed the annual exams for two days, while yesterday's school board examination paper was also scheduled for a later date.

Meanwhile, Srinagar recorded rain equivalent to 10.2 mm till 8:30 AM, a spokesperson of the MeT department said.

He said the city registered a minimum temperature of 0.7 degrees Celsius as against 0.4 degree Celsius yesterday.

Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir's Baramulla district recorded fresh rain and snow of 23.8 mm, the spokesperson said, adding, the resort registered the minimum temperature of minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, received 12.4 mm of rain and snow darting the night and the mercury there settled at a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, he said.

Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway received rain and snow equivalent to 28.2 mm of rain and recorded a low of 0.1 degrees Celsius, the spokesperson said.

He said Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, registered the minimum temperature of minus 0.9 degree Celsius and recorded 12.5 mm of rain and snow.

The mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of 0.3 degree Celsius, the spokesperson said, adding 17.1 mm of rain and snow was recorded there during the night.

leh, the frontier town in ladakh region, recorded the minimum temperature of minus 3 degree Celsius, the spokesperson said.

He said nearby Kargil town recorded a low of minus 8 degree Celsius and was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.

The MeT department said light to moderate rain or snow would occur at many places over the state today, while there would be decrease in precipitation from tonight onwards.

A traffic police official said there have been landslides at several places along the highway due to which a large stretch of the road has been washed away.

He said a large number of men and heavy machinery have been deployed to throw the road open for vehicular traffic.

"Bad weather is hampering the road opening work, we will resume the road clearance work once the weather condition improves," he said.

He said a large number of passenger vehicles were also stranded at several places along the highway, "Though we have stopped the movement of fresh vehicles on the highway, but still there are a large number of vehicles that continue to remain stranded on the highway," he said.

He said the Batote, Doda Kistwar and Kathua Bani Highway also continues to remain closed for the second day.

Meanwhile, a police officer from Reasi district said due to landslides at Raskeen Morha Bani nearly 200 cattle, including three horses, were buried alive.