Snowfall again disrupts air, surface links to Kashmir

Local MeT office has forecast rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir till Friday, which could disrupt surface and air connectivity to the Valley. Fresh snowfall and rain began in the morning.

 

All the flights were cancelled due to heavy snowfall and poor visibility at the Srinagar airport. “Due to heavy snowfall and poor visibility over Srinagar airfield, flights were cancelled” Srinagar airport authorities said on Twitter while detailing the flights that were cancelled.

 

Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the 264 km only road link between Kashmir and rest of the country, was again closed for vehicular traffic movement due to snowfall and avalanches, an official said.

 

“Around two feet snow accumulated on the road. Landslides have occurred at Anokhi Fall, Panthal and Kela Mode," he said and added no traffic movement will be allowed on the highway on Thursday.

 

Inclement weather has led to the closure of the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway this winter many times. Shortage of essential supplies are a natural fallout of the highway closure as all supplies to the landlocked Kashmir Valley are routed through the highway.

 

Hundreds of vehicles, mostly trucks carrying goods, are stranded on the highway and their movement towards their destinations would be subjected to the improvement in weather and condition of the road, the official said.

 

The fresh snowfall in the valley also affected normal life as electricity supply has been snapped while many roads in the rural areas have been blocked due to snow.