Jammu-Srinagar highway; Mughal road, SSG and Sinthan roads closed
RAMBAN/JAMMU, Oct 7: : The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Leh national highways along with Mughal and Sinthan top roads was suspended on Tuesday following multiple landslides triggered by heavy rain and snow accumulation in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall, while the plains were lashed by heavy overnight rain, resulting in a considerable drop in the mercury.
A traffic department official said the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for vehicular movement on Tuesday morning due to landslides and shooting of stones at multiple locations between Udhampur and Banihal.
Road clearance agencies have been mobilised to make the road trafficable as soon as possible, the official said, adding that they are hopeful of clearing the traffic, which has been stopped at Nagrota in Jammu, by late afternoon.
The traffic on the highway is plying alternatively from the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu in view of the ongoing repair work after the arterial road suffered heavy damage following record rainfall in August-September. Traffic was scheduled to ply from Jammu to Srinagar during the day.
The 434-km Srinagar-Leh National Highway along with Mughal and Sinthan roads that provide alternative connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country are also closed due to snow accumulation, the spokesman said.
He said people are advised not to travel till the roads are fully restored.
Officials said the Zojila pass along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway recorded six inches of snowfall.
The Peer Ki Gali along the Mughal road, connecting the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu with south Kashmir’s Shopian district and the Sinthan top in Kishtwar district witnessed three to four inches of snowfall.
Reports of snowfall were also received from the upper reaches of Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts in the Jammu region.
The weather department has predicted improvement in the overall weather from Wednesday, with no possibility of rain or snowfall during the next fortnight.
The pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi temple atop the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district and the Machail Mata shrine in Kishtwar district remained suspended for the third day on Tuesday owing to inclement weather. Both the pilgrimages are scheduled to resume on Wednesday.
All government and private schools remained closed for the second day across the Jammu division on Tuesday.
Udhampur in Jammu division recorded the highest rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am Tuesday at 100.2 mm, followed by 98.2 mm in Batote and 75.8 mm in Banihal, 44 mm in Katra the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi and 38.6 mm in Jammu city, a spokesman of the meteorological department said.
Jammu city recorded a maximum temperature of 21.3 degrees Celsius, 11.1 degrees below normal during this part of the season, while the minimum temperature also fell almost by six degrees to 15 degrees Celsius, the weather department said.
As rainfall lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, several higher reaches of the Union Territory received fresh snowfall on Tuesday, bringing temperatures down with Gulmarg recording the season’s first sub-zero temperature marking an early onset of winter chill in the region.
Reports reaching here stated that Sadhna Top received around 18-20 inches of snow, Peer Ki Gali recorded 12-15 inches, Sinthan Top received 14-18 inches, and Zojila Pass witnessed 6-7 inches. Tourist destinations including Sonamarg (2-3 inches) and Pahalgam (1-2 inches) also experienced light snowfall. At -8.0°C, Zojila Pass recorded the season’s coldest night, officials said.
The famous ski resort Gulmarg shivered at -0.4°C this morning, becoming the first station in the Valley to record sub-zero temperatures this early in October. In contrast, Pahalgam recorded a minimum temperature of 0.6°C.
Reports said that, fresh snowfall in Larnoo and Daksun areas of Kokernag led to widespread damage to apple orchards and power supply lines. Locals reported that several trees were uprooted under the weight of snow, causing partial disruption in electricity and road connectivity.
Independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif Keng said that mostly dry weather is expected across Jammu and Kashmir today. “A few places may continue to receive showers till afternoon, mainly in Kishtwar, Doda, some parts of Anantnag, Ramban, Udhampur, and Kathua districts. Thereafter, dry weather will prevail,” he said.
He added that apart from the possibility of a brief shower in isolated areas, dry weather is expected to dominate across J&K until October 20.
Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed plains of Kashmir and Jammu, leading to waterlogged roads near Delhi Darbar Restaurant and main KP Road in Anantnag, disrupting pedestrian and vehicular movement early in the morning. Municipal workers were seen clearing the accumulated water to restore smooth passage.
Officials from the traffic department and local administrations have advised travelers to check road conditions before heading towards high-altitude passes, as snow accumulation has made several stretches slippery and risky.
Gurez Valley in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district was cut off from the rest of the Valley on Tuesday following fresh snowfall, officials said.
An official told that Razdan Top,along the Bandipora-Gurez road, received around 4 to 5 inches of fresh snow, leading to the closure of the vital road link.
Due to the snowfall, several vehicles were stranded along the route. However,timely assistance from the Border Security Force (BSF) unit stationed in the area ensured the safe rescue of the stranded passengers and vehicles.
Meanwhile,Tulail Valley,another remote area in the region,also witnessed fresh snowfall—(KNO)“`
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), the vital road link connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country, has been closed due to multiple landslides, shooting stones, and mudslides triggered by inclement weather, officials said on Tuesday morning.
An official told that the highway remains blocked at multiple locations, and men and machinery have been deployed to carry out clearance operations.
Meanwhile, the Mughal Road, Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri (SSG) Road, and Sinthan Top Road have also been shut due to heavy snow accumulation, making them impassable for traffic.
Since Monday, the higher reaches of Kashmir have been receiving fresh snowfall, while the plains have witnessed rainfall, leading to a significant drop in temperatures.
