Snowfall cripples normal life in Kashmir

Life was disrupted in Kashmir on Friday due to heavy snowfall, with the Valley remaining cut off from the rest of the country as the only national highway remained blocked and flights suspended.

The 294-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed for traffic due to snowfall, an official spokesperson said.

He said that no flights could operate from the Srinagar airport on Friday as six-inch snow had accumulated on the runway.

The official said snow-clearance machines were deployed by the Mechanical Engineering Department at the airport since morning and Beacon authorities had also deployed their machines for clearing snow on the apron and the runway.

In the wake of heavy snowfall, which began in the early hours, authorities snapped electricity to several parts of the Valley as a precautionary measure.

While fresh snowfall resulted in a sharp increase in the minimum temperature across Kashmir, it crippled life with most of the shops and business establishments remaining closed and only skeletal traffic plying on the roads due to slippery conditions.

The official said Srinagar registered a minimum temperature of 0.1 degrees Celsius, slightly up from the minus 0.3 degrees  Celsius recorded the previous night.

Gulmarg registered a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night’s minus 5.2 degrees, the official added.

A meteorological department official said the western disturbance presently active in the region will start weakening from Saturday evening.

“Till then, snowfall will continue with intermittent breaks. The higher reaches may receive heavy snowfall,” he said.