Fresh snowfall blankets Bandipora
Bandipora, Jan 27: A second spell of moderate snowfall on Tuesday brought fresh accumulation across north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, with authorities working round the clock to restore road connectivity and electricity amid continuous snowfall.
The district was draped in a fresh white cover late Monday night, with details of accumulation becoming clear by Tuesday morning. Upper reaches, including Sirinder, Athwatoo, Buthoo and other high-altitude areas, recorded up to two feet of snow-around six inches more than the previous spell-while the plains received approximately five to seven inches.
In the remote Gurez valley, residents reported snow depth of nearly two-and-a-half feet. “There is too much snow in Gurez now,” said Bashir Ahmad, a local resident, adding that while snow-cutters had restored some inner links, uninterrupted snowfall was hampering operations. “The machines have made two to three rounds through the market area since morning,” he said.
Officials of the Mechanical Engineering Department were deployed early in the day to clear priority roads, enabling basic mobility as residents began their routine. Junior Engineer Shahid Ahmad said the fresh snowfall required repeated clearance. “Today, the depth was greater than before—seven to eight inches in the plains and 1.5 to two feet in the upper reaches,” he said, adding that continuous snowfall necessitated multiple passes on key routes.
According to officials, all Priority-I roads were cleared before 1 pm, while nearly 90 per cent of Priority-II roads were restored by Tuesday evening. Clearance work was still underway in upper areas such as Chuntimulla, Sirinder and Koota Sathri, while snowcats were dispatched towards Sumlar and several link roads in Doban, Turkpora and Buthoo.
Despite the weather, the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited managed to minimise outages, particularly in town areas. Executive Engineer Bashir Ahmad said around 95 per cent power restoration had been achieved in the Bandipora division, with most disruptions being localised. All feeders were functional except Kehnoosa, which developed a fault, and Nadihal, which remained partially operational.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sumbal Murtaza Ahmad said nearly 90 per cent power supply and road connectivity had been restored in his jurisdiction.
In Gurez, SDM Mukhtar Ahmad said snow clearance of inner roads was ongoing, though the Bandipora–Gurez and Gurez–Tulail roads remained closed due to heavy accumulation. Power supply to Gurez was being maintained through diesel generator sets and the Kishanganga power plant due to a fault in the 33 KV line feeding the valley.
