Dal lake, taps freeze again in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 13 (UNI) Once again parts of the world famous Dal Lake and water taps were frozen this morning, after the minimum temperature dipped to minus 6.3 degrees Celsius in the city and minus 15.2 degrees in Pahalgam, the base camp of holy Amarnath cave.

The cold wave conditions will continue for next two days in the Kashmir valley, Assistant Director Metreological department T K Jyotshi told UNI.

He said because of clear weather in the absence of Western Disturbances (WD), the night will remain cold in the valley and Ladakh region.

However, the day temperature was above normal because the sky remained clear.

Mr Jyotshi said the minimum temperature was minus 6.3 degrees, second coldest night after February 2 when the temperature dipped to minus 6.6 degrees Celsius.

Official records said this is for the second time since 1995 that the temperature has dipped to minus six degrees in the month of February.

The freezing temperature has also affected vegetable crops, particularly ''Kashmiri Saag,'' which otherwise remains available during this period of the year.

Several persons were injured after they slipped on the frozen inner and link roads besides bylanes, which remained snow bound as no snow clearance operation had been conducted there.

In 1995, the temperature was recorded at minus 6.1 degrees.

In 1984, the temperature was recorded minus 5.9 degrees in February. However during the month of December and January, the minimum temperature went down to minus 7 to minus 9 degrees Celsius respectively.

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