Jammu-Srinagar highway closed, helicopter services to Vaishno Devi suspended amid snowfall

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Due to heavy rains and snowfall, the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway is ordered to be suspended on January 23. The only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country witnessed intense traffic due to landslides which were triggered due to excessive rains and snowfall.

Over 100 trucks are stranded between Chanderkote and Ramsu. Efforts by the road clearance agencies are on to make the road clear for the commuters. Officials said the helicopter service to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district also remains suspended due to inclement weather. But the yatra continues despite a landslide on the new track and fresh snowfall at the Bhawan.

Senior Superintendent of Police, traffic, Shabir Ahmad Malik said the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed after overnight rains triggered landslides and shooting of stones from the hillocks at various places including Cafeteria Morh, Duggi Pulli (Chanderkote), and Panthiyal in Ramban district. No fresh traffic, which was scheduled to ply from Jammu towards Srinagar, was allowed this morning, he said.

The officer further said the Banihal sector also received heavy snowfall, rendering the arterial road slippery. As per officials, a landslide occurred on the new track leading to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine around 5 am on January 23. The landslide was cleared and the route is now open for the pilgrims, the officials said, adding the helicopter service, however, remained suspended due to inclement weather.

Vaishno Devi shrine experienced over six inches of snow, while the depth of snow in its peripheral areas including Bhairon Ghati was over one foot, the officials said. The weather office has predicted moderate rain or snow in both divisions of Jammu and Kashmir till Sunday evening followed by significant improvement in weather from January 24 to January 28.

Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, recorded the highest 50.6 mm of rainfall during the past 24 hours till 8.30 am Sunday, while Jammu city recorded 13.7 mm of rainfall during the same period. Banihal town in Ramban district was the coldest recorded place in the Jammu region with a low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius followed by Bhaderwah (0.6 degrees Celsius), a spokesperson of the meteorological department said. He said Katra recorded near the normal minimum temperature of 6.2 degrees Celsius, while Jammu city recorded 8.7 degrees Celsius, 1.7 notches above normal during this part of the season.

Wit inputs from PTI