After heaviest snowfall, weather in Kashmir to remain dry

Srinagar, Feb 8 (UNI) After heaviest snowfall in 16 years totally threw life out of gear, the weather in the Kashmir valley would remain generally dry, a senior officers of Meteorological department said.

The weather would remain generally dry during the next 24 hours, Assistant Director Met department T K Jyotshi told UNI.

Expressing happiness over the heaviest snowfall in five years, he said, this would help to overcome the water crisis during summer.

However, he expressed sorrow over the loss of life and damage to property due to snowfall.

Snowfall was also good for fruit and other crops, he said.

Mr Jyotshi said more than ten to fifteen feet of snow had accumulted on the heights during the past few days.

This is for the first time in the first week of February such a snowfall was recorded, official sources said.

They said more than 40 houses were damaged completely or partially in the Kashmir valley where more than 20 people have also lost their lives due to snow avalanches and snow storm during the past one month.

Srinagar and its adjoining areas witnessed fresh snowfall last evening disrupting normal life as majority roads remained snow bound this morning as no snow clearance machine was visible operating in the city routes. However, only routes being used by the VIP were cleared of snow.

People alleged that yesterday snow on all the major routes was cleared after the engineers learnt that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was arriving here. No such operation was unertaken today, they said.

Almost all link roads and bylanes remained snow bound even today.

However, snow had started melting after sun came behind the clouds this afternoon. Majority streets are water lodged because of poor drainage system.

Roads, which were repaired last year, have again been damaged.

Reports of fresh snowfall were also received from other parts of the valley.

A UNI report from Bhaderwah said people were facing acute shortage of essential commodities all as roads were blocked due to six feet to ten feet of snowfall.

Vice President of the Anjuman Islamia Haji Ghulam Rasool Rangrez has appealed people to come forward to help labourers and others who are facing starvation.

People have contributed rice and other essential commodities for the labourers after the appeal, the report said.

More than a dozen remote villages remained cut off from main town for the past one week due to snowfall, it added.

The CRPF has also organised medical and other camps in some areas of the town, it said.

UNI BAS MS VC1605