Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar (NVI): Life came to a grinding halt after fresh spell of snowfall hit Kashmir. Due to heavy snowfall, traffic on vital road links including Srinagar-Jammu Highway was suspended.
Official sources said that is still snowing at Jawahar Tunnel while Border Roads Organization (BRO) has pressed men and machinery into service to clear the highway.
“Traffic on Srinagar-Jammu Highway has been suspended due to continuous snowfall. Traffic was bound from Jammu to Srinagar today but vehicles were stopped and were not allowed to proceed towards Srinagar,” a traffic official said.
Over 2,000 vehicles, mainly carrying supplies to the Valley, as well as passenger vehicles are stranded at several places along the highway.
The fresh snowfall has affected aerial service as no flight landed or took off from Srinagar International Airport.
In the first week of this month, massive snowfall had disrupted power supply, road connectivity and drinking water supply.
An official said that administration this time is ready to meet any challenge. “All non-essential and non-emergent traffic has been requested to avoid commuting in Srinagar to facilitate snow-clearance by MED, R&B and SMC as and when there is sufficient accumulation,” Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu said.
“We have hired loaders and excavators and stocked them at the SMC Transport Yard. Drivers have been lodged at nearby hotels. A minimum of one machine will be deployed for each of the 74 electoral wards while 6 machines will be on standby for medical emergency evacuation,” the Mayor added.
In the first week of this month, administration particularly Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Roads and Buildings Department had come under severe criticism after they failed to clear the snow blocked roads across Kashmir especially in Srinagar.
This time administration said it is ready and busy in snow clearance operation.
Sources said that several patients faced difficulty in reaching hospitals.
Army, CRPF and BSF at various places helped patients. In North Kashmir’ Boniyar area of Baramulla district timely help by the BSF troops saved the lives of passengers of a vehicle that met with an accident. Over three persons sustained injuries in that accident.
-CHK
