Snow paralyses Kashmir during New Year celebration

Srinagar, Dec 31: The high way between Srinagar and Jammu remained closed for the second day on Friday, Dec 31 as snowfall and inclement weather threw life out of gear across the Kashmir valley.

"Four feet deep snow has accumulated on the road in the Banihal area of the Srinagar-Jammu highway. The Border Roads organisation is busy making efforts to reopen the highway," a traffic department official informed.

However, he said that no passenger vehicle was stranded anywhere along the 300-km long highway.

"Over three dozen trucks carrying essential supplies to the valley are parked at different safe locations along the highway, while no passenger vehicle is stranded anywhere along the highway," he said.

The weather department has forecast moderate to heavy snowfall across the valley till Saturday morning as the minimum temperature recorded here was minus 0.2 degree Celsius on Dec 31.

Although authorities claim to have pressed snow clearing machines into service to remove the accumulated snow from all highways and roads in the valley, very few vehicles were seen plying in the suburban areas of Srinagar Friday morning.

People across Kashmir were complaining of electricity breakdown.

"We have not seen any electric supply since the last two days," said 52-year-old Bashir Ahmad, a resident of north Kashmir's Ganderbal district.

An engineer of the local electricity department said that even the ground staff has been moved to service and restore electric supply.

"Some problems in the transmission lines occurred in the rural areas because of the snowfall and we are attending to them. Electricity in all areas of the city has already been restored," he said.

PTI