Snowfall throws life out of gear across Kashmir

Shopian, Feb 20: A fresh spell of snowfall in parts of south Kashmir on Tuesday threw the life out of gear.

All the four districts of south Kashmir, Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag, began receiving snow from Tuesday morning that continued intermittently almost throughout the day.

In Shopian, the snowfall started at around 9 am and continued till late evening, throwing life out of gear.

Dr Zakir Hussain, Additional Deputy Commissioner Shopian told Greater Kashmir that the plains received around 4 to 7 inches of snow while the upper reaches like Herpora-Dubijan received 2 to 3 feet of snow. He said that the snow clearance operations were going on in the district and “snow from most of the roads has been cleared.”

He, however, said that the free movement of vehicles was disrupted due to the slippery condition of roads.

Secretary Municipal Council Shopian (MCS) Assadullah said that all the roads falling within the municipal limits of the town were cleared.

He said that the municipal workers also helped the motorists whose vehicles were stuck in the snow.

The people throughout the day preferred to remain indoors in the area.

“The slippery condition of roads have significantly affected vehicular movement”, said Nisar Ahmad, a local resident.

In neighboring Pulwama district, the administration pressed men and machinery into service to clear the roads and restore all the utility services. The plains of the district received around 2 to 3 inches of snow while the upper reaches like Sangarwani, Wasanmarg, Abhama and Achgoza received up to 1 foot of snow.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Dr Basharat Qayoom, Deputy Commissioner Pulwama said that all the priority-1 roads and most of the priority-2 roads were cleared. “Due to the continuous snowfall, some roads even needed to be cleared multiple times”, he said.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the administration was able to provide a seamless power supply to the residents in the district.

The plains in Kulgam district received around 3 inches of snow while the outlying villages located in upper reaches received 8 to 10 inches. The snowfall plunged many areas like Qazigund, Manzgam, DH Pora and Tangmarg into darkness.

Mohammad Younus, a resident from Qazigund said that the area was without electricity for the last 24 hours. An official said that the district snow clearing operations were underway and all the priority-1 roads had been cleared.