Kashmir at Standstill: Avalanche warning issued; Snowfall forces flights cancellation, highway closure

Srinagar: Kashmir valley remained cut off from the outside world as all flights to Srinagar airport have been cancelled due to snowfall, officials said.  Also, the Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only open surface link connecting Kashmir Valley with the outside country, was closed due to shooting stones in Ramban and heavy snow at Banihal and Qazigund. “All flights for today at our airport have been cancelled due to continuous bad weather,” Srinagar airport authorities said in a tweet. “The passengers of the cancelled flights shall be accommodated by the respective airlines in the next available flight at no extra cost” it added. 

Meanwhile, a traffic department official said shooting stones and boulders continue to disrupt traffic on the highway at Ramban, and the accumulation of snow has made the road slippery and clearance work is underway on the highway. People are advised to undertake journey on the highway only after confirming status from traffic control units,” traffic department official said in a tweet. There was also a mudslide near Mehar.

Mughal road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri with Shopian, as well as the Srinagar-Leh highway have been already closed for this winter because of heavy snowfall in the area. There has been snowfall since morning in Kashmir Valley and parts of the Jammu division, which disrupted normal life. 

According to the meteorological department, Srinagar received 2 cm, Pahalgam 28 cm, Gulmarg received 30 cm and Sonamarg received 36 cm of snow and Kokernag 23 cm, Qazigund 10 cm, Kupwara 5 cm, Bhaderwah 2 cm, and Batote 2.7 cm while Jammu received 5.6 mm of rain and Katra 19 mm of it.  

Metrological Kashmir officials said from January 14-18th, mainly dry weather was expected, and the temperatures will plunge drastically. A massive Coldwave will hit Kashmir from 15 to 18 January in Srinagar. Temperatures are expected to drop -7 to -9 while in Shopian temp is expected to be -10 to -14 degrees Celsius. However, Another Western Disturbance (WD) is likely from the night of January 18. “From January 19-20th, a fresh WD (Western Disturbance) is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas.”

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Management Authority on Friday issued an avalanche warning in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of heavy snowfall since morning. According to communication, an avalanche with a high danger level is likely to occur above 2000 meters in the Bandipora and Kupwara districts in the next 24 hours.

“Avalanche with medium danger level is likely to occur above 2000 meters over Baramulla and Ganderbal districts and avalanche with low danger level is likely to occur above 2000 meters over Anantnag, Doda, Kishtwar, Kulgam, Poonch and Ramban districts in the next 24 hours,” the communication reads.

It also advised people living in these areas to take precautions and avoid venturing into avalanche prone areas. Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day-long harsh winter period that started on December 21.