Rains lead to fresh landslides on JK highway, road closed
Higher reaches of Kashmir receive fresh snowfall
Jammu: The Jammu-Srinagar Highway was closed for the second consecutive day Thursday amid five fresh landslides triggered by heavy rains and snowfall in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Over 600 vehicles are stranded at several places on the highway in Ramban, Udhampur and Jammu districts.
There were fresh landslides triggered by rains, which struck the strategic 270-km highway overnight at KhuniNallah, Panthiyal, Digdole, Battery Cheshma and Maroog, blocking the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, the officials said.
There was also snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel area, they said.
Officials said road clearance operation was immediately launched but rains are making the task of clearance difficult.
No traffic has been allowed to move from Nagrota area of Jammu towards Kashmir Valley in view of the closure of the highway, they said.
The lurking threat of more landslides has created fear among the hundreds of passengers travelling on the highway these days.
Banihal town also experienced light snowfall, while heavy rains lashed other parts of the highway during the night, the officials said.
The Mughal road connecting Kashmir valley’s Shopian district with Jammu region’s Poonch district is closed for past one month due to heavy snowfall.
In Jammu city, there has been heavy rains since yesterday, while mountainous areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Kathua, Poonch and Reasi districts experienced light snowfall.
Meanwhile, the higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall, while the plains were lashed with rains overnight, the MET Office said.
An official of the MET Department said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded 29 cms of snow, while Kupwara received 11 cms of fresh snowfall during the night.
Snow was also recorded in some areas like Banihal and Jawahar Tunnel along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the official said.
He said there are reports of fresh snowfall in few other areas in the higher reaches of the valley.
The plain areas, including summer capital Srinagar, received intermittent rains during the night which continued till the morning on Thursday.
The MET Office has said there is possibility of rain/ snow at widespread places in the state, with heavy falls at isolated places in Kashmir and heavy to very heavy falls /thunderstorms at isolated places in Jammu on Thursday. It forecast scattered rain/snow at isolated places across the state on Friday. (PTI)
Press Trust of India
