Kashmir Valley remains cut off from rest of the country

 

Kashmir remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second day on Monday as snowfall blocked the vital Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and delayed all scheduled flights to the Valley. The snowfall, which began on Saturday night, continued overnight in most parts of the Valley including in the summer capital Srinagar, crippling normal life as most of the people preferred to remain indoors. However, the snowfall has brought much needed respite to the residents of the Valley as the minimum temperature recorded an increase for the second successive day, weather officials said. They said moderate to heavy snowfall was recorded in the Valley and efforts are on to clear the roads of accumulated snow. Fresh snowfall ranging between two to eight inches was also recorded in other parts of the Valley including Pahalgam, Yousmarg and Sonamarg. Snow clearance machines were deployed at Srinagar International Airport since 5.00 AM by Mechanical Engineering Department, while Beacon authorities also deployed their machines for clearance of apron and runway, officials said. Fresh snowfall has blocked the 294-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only road link between Kashmir Valley and rest of the country. An official of the traffic department said the road link remains blocked due to overnight snowfall. All the incoming flights at Srinagar International Airport have also been delayed. Despite moderate to heavy snowfall, electricity supply in the city and major towns of the Valley remained unaffected. The snowfall has resulted in an increase in minimum temperature as Srinagar recorded a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir, where mercury had stayed 10 to 12 degrees below freezing point since new year, recorded a minimum temperature of -6.7 degrees Celsius.