Snowfall, rains cut off Kashmir Valley as roads face closure, trains and air traffic disrupted
Srinagar, Jan 23: The strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was closed for traffic on Friday following fresh snowfall in and around the NAVYUG Tunnel area.
An official said that the movement of vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar, and vice versa, has been suspended as a precautionary measure.
He said other key arterial roads, including the Mughal Road, the SSG Road, and the Sinthan Road, have also been closed due to fresh snow accumulation.
“People are advised to avoid travel on these routes until they are fully restored and declared safe for vehicular movement,” the official stated.
The closure comes in the wake of a severe windstorm that swept across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening, causing damage to houses, uprooting trees, snapping power lines, and triggering forest fires in several districts.
The weather department has issued an orange alert, predicting more rain and strong winds until Friday. Two successive Western Disturbances are likely to affect the region over the coming days.
Meanwhile, several morning flights too have been cancelled as it is snowing heavily at the Srinagar airport making the landing of flights almost impossible.
Officials said that at least 17 flights to and from Srinagar Airport were cancelled due to on-going snowfall and adverse weather conditions, adding that more cancellations were likely as snowfall continued to disrupt flight operations. The affected flights included services connecting Srinagar with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Jammu.
Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules.
Additionally, rail services on the Banihal–Baramulla section were suspended after authorities cancelled several passenger trains due to heavy snowfall in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. (with inputs from KNS, KNO)
