Snowfall disrupts normal life in Srinagar

Srinagar, Dec 27: As snowfall gave respite from a prolonged dry spell in Srinagar on Friday, it disrupted normal life in the summer capital here.

Traffic jams and slippery roads due to snowfall threw life out of gear in the city.

As the snowfall started at 3 pm, most of the people rushed toward their homes. Commuters said that during peak hours, Srinagar areas, including Downtown, Hazratbal, Lal Bazar, Qamarwari, Jahangir Chowk, and Karanagar, witnessed massive traffic jams. They said that uptown areas of Srinagar, including Natipora and Hyderpora, also witnessed major traffic gridlocks.

“People are rushing home amid snowfall, which has triggered major traffic jams in Srinagar. There is also an absence of traffic cops, which has added to the problem. The stretch from Karanagar to Jahangir Chowk is crippled due to traffic jams, and the same is the case on many other busy junctions,” said Mushtaq Ali, a commuter at Karanagar.

The commuters said that slippery roads also gave them a tough time. Many videos surfaced on social media showing vehicles having a tough time moving on the slippery roads.

“We had a very tough time due to slippery roads. The vehicles using Rambagh and other flyovers witnessed slippery roads, and many vehicles were unable to move properly. This also ended up triggering traffic jams. The two-wheelers had a tough time moving amid snowfall as well,” said another commuter.

Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered to hold the congregational Friday prayers in Dargah Hazratbal. The vendors in the famous Hazratbal Market were seen closing their stalls amid the snowfall. The passengers said that in the evening, there was scarce public transport on the roads, and many passengers were stranded.

“We had gone to offer Friday prayers at Hazratbal as usual. There was a lack of public transport, and we had to hitchhike to reach home,” said Farooq Ahmad, a resident from Hazratbal outskirts.

Meanwhile, amid the inconveniences, many Srinagarites expressed happiness after the dry spell ended with snowfall. Tourists in the City center Lal-Chowk were seen enjoying the snow and taking photos amid the snowfall.

Officials from the district administration said that they have held multiple review meetings to ensure that they are well prepared for the snow clearance and other operations.