Trains & Flights Hit, 2,000 Vehicles Stranded, Exams Postponed: Snowfall Blankets Kashmir White – News18

Last Updated:December 28, 2024, 09:38 IST

Kashmir Snowfall: The snowfall affected the movement of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, leaving around 2,000 vehicles stranded.

Kashmir has become inaccessible to the rest of country as the arterial Srinagar-Jammu national highway and Mughal Road remain closed, while flights have not been able to take-off from the Srinagar airport. Train services on the Banihal-Baramulla section have been suspended too.

This comes amid continued snowfall in the region. Srinagar and other areas in the plains of Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall on Friday, draping the valley in white.

Vehicles Stranded

Officials said that the snowfall affected the movement of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, leaving around 2,000 vehicles stranded.

However, the officials said that after snow clearance, heavy vehicles were allowed to move and efforts were on to clear other stranded vehicles.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also drove from Jammu, where he had gone to attend a function which was, however, rescheduled due to the demise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

“I drove from Jammu to Srinagar today. It snowed continuously from Banihal to Srinagar. The conditions were quite treacherous. I understand there are around 2000 vehicles stuck between the tunnel & Qazigund. My office has been in touch with the administration in South Kashmir. While snow clearance has been done the road is very icy. Heavy vehicles are being allowed to move & efforts are on to clear the rest of the stranded vehicles,” Abdullah said in a post on X.

Slippery Roads, Flights & Trains Hit

Officials said that due to heavy snow accumulation on the track and continuous snowfall, train services on the Banihal-Baramulla section will remain suspended up to 1 pm on Saturday.

The inclement weather on Friday also impacted air traffic at the Srinagar airport as several late-afternoon flights were cancelled.

“All the flights from 4:30 pm onwards were cancelled due to bad weather leading to low visibility and snow accumulation on the runway,” the officials said.

The snow also affected motorists as the slippery conditions made driving difficult.

University Exams Postponed

The Kashmir University postponed all its examinations scheduled on Saturday because of the inclement weather. Fresh dates for the postponed examinations will be notified separately, the university said.

Snowfall Brings Cheer To Some

Snowfall brought cheer to locals and tourists alike. A report in PTI quoted Yawar Hussain, a local, as saying, “We had been waiting for snow for a long time. The prolonged dry season had led to several difficulties for locals. It led to an increase in common ailments like cough and cold. Now, it will bring relief.”

He said the snowfall would augur well for tourism as well as agriculture and horticulture sectors.

“We had low water levels, power generation was low and the absence of snow would have been bad news for our farmers and orchardists,” Hussain said.

Tourists were thrilled to witness snow and many of them were seen playing and clicking photographs.

“This is a sight to behold. We are lucky to have witnessed snowfall in Srinagar. It feels surreal. It is a dream come true,” Priya, a tourist, told PTI in Lal Chowk.

Another tourist, Pankaj Kumar, said he was having the best time of his life. “Snowfall has made this trip more memorable. This is just amazing. It is magical. We are so happy to be here,” he said.

Apart from Srinagar, the season’s first snowfall was also recorded in the plains of Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts.

Snowfall was also recorded in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg, tourist resorts of Sonamarg and Pahalgam, Gurez, Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road and many areas in Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts, the officials said.

Location :

Srinagar, India