Srinagar/Shimla, Jan 24: Intense cold wave conditions in higher Himalayas continued unabated as heavy snowfall was recorded in Himachal where several arterial roads including the Hindustan Tibet highway was closed for traffic, even as the Jammu-Srinagar highway was opened to light vehicles after three days today.
The upper Shimla region including Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rohroo, Chopal and Dodra-Kwar remained cut off by road and efforts were on to clear the main highways.
Shimla and its surrounding resorts of Kufri, Wild Flower Hall and Fagu, which experienced intermittent snowfall, shivered under biting cold wave conditions as the mercury dropped to minus three degrees in upper areas. Water pipes were frozen and there was thick ground frost in mid and higher hills, hampering vehicular movement. Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway linking Kashmir with the rest of the country was thrown open to light vehicles after the valley's only connection with the country was cleared of major hurdles, traffic authorities told a news agency.


However, heavy vehicles were restricted from plying on the highway as border roads organisation, which maintains the major roads, was still busy in clearing the road of landslides.


The highway was closed for traffic on Wednesday when heavy snow and rains lashed wide parts of Jammu and Kashmir rendering the road unsafe for movement of vehicles.

Bureau Report