Higher reaches draped in white

Srinagar, Jan 6: On Monday, moderate to heavy snowfall blanketed the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, while moderate snow and rain lashed the plains, affecting normal life.

Flight operations at the Srinagar International Airport, which were disrupted due to the overnight snowfall and fog, have resumed.

According to an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official, operations at the Srinagar airport resumed on Monday afternoon, with the first flight arriving from Amritsar.

Earlier in the day, flights were delayed as men and machinery worked to clear snow from the runway.

This comes after dense fog disrupted airport operations over the weekend, causing delays, diversions, and cancellations.

The Meteorological (MeT) Department officials said that Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and other higher reaches experienced moderate to heavy snowfall during the past 24 hours.

“On January 6, generally cloudy weather with light to moderate rain in the plains of Jammu and snow was observed in most places of Kashmir. Improvement is expected from January 6 afternoon. On January 7 and 10, generally, cloudy weather with dry conditions is forecast. On January 11 and 12, light snow at isolated to scattered places is likely, while January 13 and 15 are expected to remain dry,” they said.

The MeT has issued an advisory urging tourists, travellers, and transporters to plan accordingly.

The advisory cites sub-freezing temperatures, icy roads, and the likelihood of fresh snowfall.

It also advised people to adhere to administrative and traffic guidelines to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, minimum temperatures in Srinagar dipped to minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg recorded minus 4.5 degrees Celsius and Pahalgam minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.

In Jammu, the night’s lowest temperatures were 9.3 degrees Celsius in Jammu city, 9.2 degrees Celsius in Katra, 2.8 degrees Celsius in Batote, 2.3 degrees Celsius in Banihal, and 3.6 degrees Celsius in Bhaderwah.

Doctors have cautioned residents to avoid prolonged exposure to cold, especially children and the elderly, who are at higher risk.

Health experts warn that hypothermia combined with respiratory tract infections can increase the risk of myocardial infarction, leading to heart attacks and heart failure.

Traffic disrupted on Srinagar-Jammu NH

M M Parvaiz reports from Ramban

The vehicular movement was disrupted for a couple of hours due to a fresh spell of snowfall in the Qazigund section of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Monday morning, Traffic Police officials said.

They said following a fresh spell of snowfall, all types of vehicular movement stopped at 5:30 am from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa for some time as a precaution.

Officials said that after the improvement in weather and road clearance, traffic on both sides was allowed to move on either side of the highway at 8:50 am.

They said after that the highway remained open for two-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles.

However, the traffic movement remained slow due to the breakdown of a few heavy vehicles, single-lane and poor condition of the road stretch at Dalwass, Mehar Cafeteria, and between Maroog and Kishtwari Pathar areas of Ramban.

Traffic officials monitoring the regulation of traffic on the highway in Ramban said that despite the slow movement, hundreds of vehicles crossed the Chenani-Nashri and Banihal-Qazigund tunnels till late evening.

Meanwhile, the Traffic Department issued a fresh advisory for Tuesday that subject to fair weather and good road conditions, LMVs and heavy vehicles would be allowed to ply on both sides of the highway.

They further advised commuters and drivers to check the status of the road from Traffic Control Units (TCUs) in Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur, and Ramban besides checking traffic updates on social media platforms.

The traffic authorities advised the commuters, passengers, and LMV operators not to undertake journeys on the highway during the night hours as there are apprehension of shooting stones between the Ramban and Banihal sectors.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway, Ramban, Rohit Baskotra advised the vehicle operators to avoid unnecessary haltage between Ramban and Banihal as there is apprehension of landslides and shooting stones.

The commuters have been advised to follow lane discipline as overtaking causes congestion.

Mughal Road shut for 10th day

Sumit Bhargav reports from Rajouri

The Mughal Road, connecting the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Pir Panjal region with Kashmir, remained closed for the tenth consecutive day due to heavy snowfall and inclement weather.

The region also received light snowfall in the morning hours while slight improvement in weather was witnessed in the evening.

Meanwhile, the upper reaches of the Rajouri and Poonch districts also received light snowfall, affecting vehicular movement.

Traffic on some roads in the area is partially disrupted, with the Mechanical Engineering Department working to clear the snow including on the Loran road.

The prolonged closure of the Mughal Road has caused inconvenience to commuters and locals who rely on the route for essential supplies and travel.

The authorities are working to restore normalcy, but the challenging weather conditions are hindering their efforts.