The Kashmir Valley acquired the season’s heaviest snowfall on Saturday which threw regular life out of substances, affecting air, rail and street visitors in addition to disrupting energy and water provide, officers mentioned.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the snow clearance operations in a video convention assembly with all deputy commissioners.
Average to heavy snowfall was recorded throughout Kashmir from Friday, together with the season’s first snowfall in Srinagar metropolis and different plain areas.
In South Kashmir, heavy to very heavy snowfall was recorded within the plains, whereas central Kashmir’s plains acquired reasonable snowfall. The plains of North Kashmir acquired mild to reasonable snowfall, officers mentioned.
The higher areas of the South Kashmir district acquired over two toes of snow, they added. Although the snowfall was welcomed by locals and vacationers, it threw every day life out of substances.
The Jammu-Srinagar Nationwide Freeway (NH-44) was closed for visitors attributable to snow, in accordance with Site visitors Division officers. They added that clearance work was hampered attributable to heavy snowfall on the Navyug Tunnel.
Males and equipment are on the job, and commuters are suggested to keep away from journey till the climate improves and the street is cleared, the officers mentioned.
Prepare companies on the Banihal-Baramulla part had been suspended attributable to heavy snow accumulation on the tracks, railway officers mentioned. Efforts to clear the observe are underway, they added.
Air visitors to and from Srinagar was additionally affected, with flight operations suspended, in accordance with airport officers.
“Attributable to dangerous climate circumstances, all flights at Srinagar Airport have been cancelled. No flight operations have taken place on the airport because the morning attributable to inclement climate,” officers mentioned. Passengers are suggested to contact their airways for updates.
Flight operations have been affected since Friday night.
The authorities launched snow clearance operations at district headquarters and whereas many of the essential roads and roads to hospitals had been cleared by morning itself, inside roads had been cleared by midday, the officers mentioned.
Abdullah directed the deputy commissioners to personally supervise snow clearance operations, emphasizing the necessity to acquire photographic proof of cleared areas to make sure thorough removing and stop roads from freezing as temperatures drop.
District administrations had been instructed to offer two-hourly updates to the CM’s workplace and the chief secretary’s workplace.
The Chief Engineer of Public Well being Engineering (PHE) Division knowledgeable the assembly that 90 per cent of the water provide throughout the valley had been restored, with efforts underway to deal with the remaining 10 per cent, officers mentioned.
The Divisional Commissioner of Jammu reported that energy and water provides in Jammu districts remained unaffected, whereas the chief secretary confirmed regular progress in restoring electrical energy feeders and guaranteed that district hospitals had been functioning easily.
The chief minister careworn the significance of making certain 100 per cent attendance of docs and paramedical employees in any respect district and sub-district hospitals to successfully handle emergencies.
Particular directions had been issued to the deputy commissioner of Budgam to coordinate with airport authorities to help stranded vacationers and supply transportation if required, officers mentioned.
The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir assured that enough shares of important commodities, together with meals and different civil provides, had been obtainable in all districts.
Taking to X, Abdullah mentioned many of the dysfunctional energy feeders within the valley had been restored.
“Out of forty-one 33KV feeders dysfunctional in Kashmir attributable to heavy snowfall, thirty-seven have been restored and charged. Equally, out of 739 dysfunctional 11KV feeders, 639 have been restored and recharged, bringing main aid to the valley,” Abdullah mentioned.
He mentioned nearly all of the remaining feeders had been anticipated to be restored by the night.
Abdullah additionally toured a number of areas of Srinagar metropolis and visited his meeting constituency, Ganderbal, to take inventory of the scenario, officers mentioned.
He made an unannounced go to to District Hospital Ganderbal and assessed the companies obtainable to sufferers through the inclement climate and reviewed the supply of important medicines, employees on obligation, and the performance of the central heating system.
Abdullah interacted with the hospital employees, in addition to sufferers and their attendants.
Talking to reporters in Ganderbal, Abdullah mentioned he wished to go to his constituency to make sure that individuals didn’t face too many hardships as a result of snow.
“I wished to see that the snow clearance operations on roads are sped up, take inventory of hospital and important companies, and the restoration of electrical energy wherever the traces had been snapped,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, minimal temperatures went up by a number of notches throughout the valley, the MeT Division mentioned.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1 diploma Celsius on Friday night time, greater than six levels up from the earlier night time’s low of minus 7.3 levels Celsius, it mentioned.
Gulmarg, a city recognized for snowboarding actions in North Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5 levels Celsius, whereas Pahalgam, the bottom camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in South Kashmir, registered a minimal temperature of minus 2.8 levels Celsius.
Kashmir is at present beneath the grip of the 40-day ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — thought-about the harshest interval of winter — which started on December 21.
