Snow being cleared from Mughal road after heavy snowfall in Pir ki Gali area, in Poonch on October 16, 2023.
| Photo Credit: ANI
A cold wave gripped Kashmir on October 16 as the higher reaches received a spell of snowfall and the plains were lashed by rainfall. Several highways were closed due to snow accumulation.
A layer of white blanket covered the mountain passes connecting the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh through the Sonamarg route and the Poonch through the Mughal Road. Several inches of snowfall enforced a closure of these highways for traffic, officials said.
Rains also resulted in landslides on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the main route connecting the Valley outside, affecting the movement of traffic for several hours.
The snowfall and rains have also resulted in a dip in the day temperature in the Valley. Srinagar recorded around 12 degrees Celsius during the day on Monday.
The electricity supply has also seen a major cut from the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD). It has decided to cut electricity for eight hours a day and 4.5 hours a day in non-metred and metred areas, respectively in the Valley. The decision comes in the wake of the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) administration’s promise to supply electricity round the clock even during winters. Most locals in Kashmir depend on electricity for warming their houses.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological department has forecasted wet weather till October 17. “There would be a significant drop in the temperature across J&K,” a MeT official said.
The MeT also predicted chances of more snowfall at the Razdan Pass in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district and the Pir Ki Gali on Mughal Road in the south-west of Kashmir valley. It warned of likely disruptions in movement of traffic at vulnerable places like Zojila, Mughal Road, Sinthan Top, Sadna Top, etc.
In south Kashmir, strong hail storms hit apple orchards in several places, especially Kulgam and Shopian districts.
The farmers claimed that they “suffered huge losses’ ‘. “The government should provide assistance after properly assessing the damage,” they said.