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Temperature plummets across JK

Temperature plummets across JK
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Amarnath cave, Gulmarg range receives fresh snowfall

Banihal/Jammu: Several high altitude areas including the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath witnessed snowfall, while plains including the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar were lashed by rains on Saturday, officials said.
The mercury plummeting seven to 10 degrees below the season’s average, providing much needed relief to the people, especially in the plains of Jammu region, from the scorching heat, officials said.
They said that the holy Amarnath cave in south Kashmir Himalayas recorded light snowfall during the day but there was no disruption in ongoing works being undertaken along the route ahead of the commencement of the annual 43-day yatra on June 30.
The officials said snowfall was also received at upper reaches of north and south Kashmir besides parts of Jammu region including Sarkantha top in Gool and Aram Nakh and Angreeez Thum mountain peaks in Banihal area of Ramban district.
Batote in Ramban district received the highest of 37.4 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm followed by Gulmarg hill resort in north kashmir (35.2 mm), base camp Katra in Reasi district (30.8), Jammu city (21.2 mm) and Srinagar (15.5 mm), an official of the MeT department said.
He said Jammu recorded a high of 31.3 degrees Celsius (7.1 degrees below normal during this part of the season), while the maximum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 19.3 degrees Celsius, which is 9.1 notches below normal.
Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine, recorded a maximum of 24.4 degrees Celsius 10.6 notches below season’s average.
The weatherman has forecast fairly widespread light to moderate rain and thunderstorms during the next two days.
Farmers upbeat
Farmers in Kashmir who were worried over the delay in paddy transplantion due to water shortage are happy to see the intermittent rainfall for the past two days.
Farmers from different areas of Kashmir said that their hopes were dashed to ground as they were unable to transplant paddy due to shortage of water. However, they are happy now and are hopeful that they will be able to transplant paddy now.
Fayaz Ahmad, a farmer from Anantnag said that the season was unfavourable to them as there were very less rains in last three to four months due to which water level in water bodies receded drastically.
He said that even the present downpour is not enough. But we have to wait and see if the rainfall is consistent.
Farmers who had already transplanted paddy and their fields had started drying up due to shortage of water have also heaved a sigh of relief due to rains.
They are also hopeful that due to rains the water level in wager bodies will increase and all pumps can function normally on which the paddy land depends for irrigation purposes.
Pertinently, farmers in different parts were unable to transplant paddy due to low water level in different water bodies there by leaving dozens of lift schemes defunct.
Director Agriculture Kashmir Mohammad Iqbal Choudhary when contacted said that much required rain is going to give relief to farmers.
He said that there is still time left in paddy transplantation and they are hopeful that all plantations will be carried on paddy land.
“We aren’t utilising the single drop of ground water and we are using only surface water and with the help of rains, our catchments will be healthy and everything will be ok” he said. (With inputs from PTI, KNO)


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