Heavy snowfall for 40 hours disrupts Kashmir valley
The weather office has predicted moderate to rather heavy rain or snow at most places over the state during the next 24 hours.
With most parts of Jammu and Kashmir experiencing fresh spell of snowfall since Monday morning, authorities on Tuesday issued a high and medium-danger avalanche warning for higher parts of the state asking people living there to avoid venturing into steep slopes during the next 24 hours.
"On the basis of information from SASE, Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Management Authority has issued High Danger avalanche warning for hilly areas of Tangmarg and Khilanmarg in Gulmarg sector and higher reaches of north Kashmir's Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts and Kargil in frontier region of Ladakh," an official spokesman said.
He said a medium danger warning has also been issued for higher reaches of Banihal, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region, Pulwama and Kulgam in south and Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir.
"People living in these snowbound areas have been requested to take precautions and not to venture on steep slopes. The warning is valid for the next 24 hours," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, weather office has predicted moderate to rather heavy rain or snow at most places over the state during the next 24 hours. During last 40 hours, more than six inches of snowfall was recorded in Srinagar while situation in upper reached of valley is worse, Gulmarg recorded fresh 3 feet of snowfall which is continuing there . The same quantum of snowfall was witnessed in Pahalgam and Sonmarg hill stations of Kashmir, Jammu-Srinagar Highway has been closed since Monday due to snowfall at Qazigund and landslides in Ramban area.
Temperatures had already dropped to zero degree in Srinagar and have fallen below freezing point in upper reaches of Valley. This fresh snowfall has also delayed sowing season there and most of the apple orchards had been affected as weight of this snow is breaking these plants.
With this snowfall it is also expected that water level of streams and rivers may rise with improvement in temperatures, so threat of floods in coming days in valley is also being checked.