Snowfall in J-K's Rajouri brings joy to tourists, farmers; road closures impact connectivity

Rajouri, Feb 02: The Pirpanjal region in Rajouri District witnessed snowfall on Friday bringing smiles to the faces of tourists and farmers.

After a prolonged dry spell, higher reaches of the mountains in Rajouri District experienced snowfall, while lower areas received much-needed rainfall.

Tourists are now flocking to popular spots like DKG Dehra ki Galli and Manyal Galli in the Thanna Mandi Tehsil.

Najmul Hassan Dar, a teacher at Government Higher Secondary School in Maniyal, expressed delight at the long-awaited snowfall.

"Today, after many days, we got to see this snowfall, and we are enjoying it a lot. There are also tourist spots here. The winter season was devoid of rain and snow this time, so after a long wait, it has finally snowed today, and everyone is enjoying it. Along with that, it will be beneficial for agriculture and horticulture due to this snow and rain. The roads were covered with snow today, so we walked half the way, and even children joined us. It's quite cold," Najmul Hassan Dar said.

Tahira Shamim Khan, a teacher from Manayal School, highlighted the challenges faced in reaching the school, walking 6-7 km due to road closures.

"After a long time, we got to see snow, especially since the winter months started, and we were eagerly waiting for the snowfall and rain. We are very happy. It's a bit challenging, like walking about 6-7 km to reach school. At this time, road connectivity has been cut off, but slowly tourists are coming, including children. I appeal to the government that this top hill, Manihal, has everything good but lacks development. So, my appeal is to develop this area. Many tourists are coming here, and perhaps more would come if there was road connectivity, which is currently blocked due to snowfall," Tahira Shamim Khan said.

Aurangzeb, a local farmer, echoed the sentiments, emphasizing the positive impact of snowfall on agriculture and horticulture.

"After a long time, there has been snowfall, and we are very happy. The reason for this happiness is that horticulture and agriculture benefit greatly from it. For example, the department facing a complete drought in terms of drinking water and the Atta Chakki that had shut down due to the lack of water is now benefiting from the abundant rainfall. The crops needed water, and now they are flourishing due to the rain. Even diseases that had increased are now getting better. Tourists will also come here now. The only issue is that the road connectivity is quite poor, and today it's closed due to snowfall, but even otherwise, it's not in good condition," Aurangzeb said.

The snowfall has provided big relief to farmers in the agriculture and horticulture sectors, as the precipitation is expected to be beneficial for crops. However, the joy comes with challenges, as the Mughal road track and the entire Pirpanchal ranges of the Poonch district are covered with a thick blanket of snow. The Mughal Road has been closed for the last seven days, due to the heavy snowfall impacting the movement of both tourists and locals.

Despite the challenges posed by road closures, the locals are urging tourists to visit and experience the scenic beauty of the snow-covered landscape.