Heavy snowfall in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday cut off the air and road link between the two regions of Jammu and the Kashmir valley.
The Ladakh UT also experienced widespread snow.
All flights at the Srinagar airport were cancelled due to the accumulation of snow on the runway and poor visibility.
The vital Jammu-Srinagar highway was also closed for vehicular traffic due to snow and heavy rain. The Srinagar-Leh, Mughal Road, and Sinthan Road were also shut for the movement of vehicles, traffic police said.
Essential services, including electric supply, across the UT were snapped at most places since yesterday evening when heavy rains lashed the region. Several parts of Kashmir and the upper areas of Jammu experienced heavy snowfall, resulting in a drop in the temperature. The plains of the Jammu region experienced heavy rains.
The tourist destinations of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg in Kashmir, and Bhaderwah, Batote, Patnitop, and Nathatop in Jammu were covered under a thick layer of snow. Gulmarg recorded 46 cms snowfall till 8.30 am.
India Meteorological Department (IMD), Srinagar, has forecast that back-to-back western disturbances will impact the region’s weather pattern for almost a week.
The Srinagar airport announced that the “Current weather conditions indicate that normalisation of operations may take longer than expected. Snow clearance activities are ongoing at Srinagar Airport, and passengers are requested to stay in touch with their respective airlines for updates”.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the active power load in the valley is less than 100 MW as against the usual 1,700 MW, essentially due to the outage of almost all 33KV feeders, including those feeding emergency services. Teams are on the job for rectification, but extensive tree falls on the lines, and the windy conditions are major hurdles to be overcome.
He said that while the administration was prepared for snowfall, strong winds accompanying it caused widespread damage across the Kashmir Valley, severely affecting power supply and other essential services.
He said that the snowfall arrived a bit late this year, but preparations were already in place. However, strong winds and snow disrupted almost the entire electrical power system.
He added that priority roads are being cleared first, while efforts are also underway to reopen other roads across the Valley.
The Udhampur Police conducted a timely rescue operation and saved 12 persons, including women and children, who were stranded in a heavy snowstorm at Chochru Galla in the Basantgarh area.
District Police Poonch and Shopian extended timely assistance to stranded passengers and vehicles on snow-affected roads.
The holy shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu’s Reasi district witnessed the season’s first snowfall.