Flight services resume at Srinagar airport as bad weather subsides, Kashmir highway still closed

With improvement in weather conditions, flight operations resumed at Srinagar airport on Tuesday much to the relief of hundreds of stranded passengers.

However, the 264-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only road link connecting Kashmir with other parts of the country, remained closed for vehicular traffic for the second consecutive day due to accumulation and landslides at several places, officials said.

“People are advised not to take any journey on NH 44 (highway) till the restoration work is completed,” a traffic department official said.

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After all 68 flights were cancelled due to snowfall and poor visibility on Monday, the air traffic to and from Srinagar airport resumed on Tuesday. An official at the airport said that some morning flights were delayed but by afternoon the air traffic resumed normal operations.

A large number of people, who had arrived in Srinagar for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra were also seen at Srinagar airport to board their respective flights.

Earlier, Director of Srinagar Airport, Kuldeep Singh said that the visibility was good and the surface stands clear of snow for smooth arrival and departure of the flights.

Also Read | Snowfall disrupts normal life in Kashmir

Intra-Kashmir train services from Banihal to Baramulla and vice versa also resumed this morning after a day-long suspension due to accumulation of snow on the tracks.

The 40-day long period of harsh winter known locally as the 'Chillai Kalan', which started on December 21, ended on Monday. Srinagar recorded a low of zero degree Celsius while mercury at south Kashmir’s Pahalgam hill resort which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra settled at minus 4.7 degrees.

Ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded minus 8.4 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature last night. Local MeT office has forecast weather to likely remain dry in Jammu and Kashmir till February 4.