Kashmir remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second day on Monday as the Srinagar-Jammu Highway remaind closed and flight services were disrupted at the airport here due to snowfall.
The snowfall which started on Sunday and continued till Monday, resulted in cutting off the valley from the outside world, as authorities closed the Srinagar-Jammu highway and suspended air traffic.
An official said the Srinagar-Jammu highway was closed due to the landslips that took place in Ramban, Nashri, Panthial and Ramso areas.
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All incoming and outgoing flights to Srinagar were cancelled since Sunday. “The airport runway is slippery, besides the continuous downpour has impacted the clearance operations,” said the official.
Officials said that over one feet of snow has been recorded at Jawahar tunnel and Qazigund.
The snowfall brought smiles on the faces of people, particularly children who were out early on the streets throwing snow at each other and clicking pictures.
South Kashmir has received more snow than central and north Kashmir. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more snowfall in southern parts of Kashmir for next two days. “There is a possibility of more snow in Kashmir due to a Western Disturbance. The weather can improve only after January 6,” a senior IMD officer said.
The snowfall was especially good news for the tourism sector, who hoped that the change in weather would attract the visitors from other regions of the country to the snow-covered slopes of Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
The tourist resort of Gulmarg recorded around one feet of fresh snowfall last night.
Meanwhile, Cluster University has postponed all exams scheduled for Tuesday due to snowfall.
