Snow, gusty winds expose gaps in Bandipora’s adverse weather preparedness

Bandipora, Jan 23: Overnight gusty winds followed by snowfall on Friday morning put the Bandipora administration’s adverse weather preparedness to a stern test, as large parts of the north Kashmir district reported structural damage, power outages and delayed snow clearance.

As the weather deteriorated on Thursday evening, strong winds swept across the district, hitting the Sonawari division the hardest. Officials said around 114 structures were damaged in the area, including several residential houses whose rooftops were blown away.

By early Friday morning, moderate snowfall blanketed the district, with up to 15 inches recorded in the upper reaches and around four to five inches in the plains. While residents initially welcomed the long-awaited snowfall, distress calls soon began pouring in from different areas, citing sluggish snow clearance, electricity outages and water shortages.

Residents of upper belt villages such as Mantrigam, Bankoot and other hilly areas complained that snow cutters had not reached them by midday, forcing people with medical or other emergencies to move on foot as vehicular movement remained suspended. Similar complaints were raised from several parts of Sonawari, including Saderkoot, Inderkoot and adjoining villages.

In Bandipora town as well, residents alleged that priority-two roads and inner links remained uncleared till noon, with snow clearance machines appearing on main roads only around 12:30 pm. “Earlier, snow clearance would begin as soon as snowfall started. This time, there was a visible delay,” said Wajid Mir, a resident.

Although electricity supply was restored in Bandipora town and adjoining areas by noon, several villages—particularly in the Sonawari belt—continued to face power outages. The outages also disrupted water supply, as most schemes in the area are lift-based and dependent on electricity.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sumbal, Murtaza Ahmad, said by evening that power supply from the Badampura grid station to the Sonawari belt had been fully restored.

However, officials of the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) said supply from the Nihalpora grid station remained disrupted due to damage to two transmission line towers, affecting Shahgund and Shadipora areas.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Gurez, Mukhtar Ahmad, said the region had recorded up to one-and-a-half feet of snowfall, adding that the Mechanical Engineering Department (MED) was continuously clearing link roads, even as intermittent snowfall continued.

He said power supply in some areas was being restored through the Kishanganga Dam power plant and DG sets due to faults in the main transmission line.

Meanwhile, the MED said that in Bandipora district, excluding Gurez, all 344 kilometres of priority-one roads were cleared by evening. Of the 215 kilometres of priority-two roads, about 180 kilometres had been cleared. Officials said the highest snowfall accumulation of about 14 inches was recorded in hilly areas of Sirinder, Athwatoo, Ketsan and Buthu, while Bandipora town recorded around four inches.

Responding to complaints of delayed snow clearance, Junior Engineer Shahid Mir said machines had to operate cautiously due to snow depths of up to 15 inches to avoid damage. He added that snowfall began late in the morning, resulting in a delayed start to clearance operations. “Eleven machines have been pressed into service, and hilly areas with steep slopes are being cleared carefully,” he said.