Fresh snowfall affects road, air connectivity

Srinagar, Jan 4: Rightly predicted by the local meteorological department, the summer capital, Srinagar, and other parts of Kashmir valley Friday received a fresh bout of snowfall carpeting the whole valley white.
The night temperature dipped and settled several degrees below normal across Kashmir, where widespread light to moderate rain and snow was predicted from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening.
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed as a precautionary measure as the road was rendered slippery and unsafe to tread on due to the snowfall, a Traffic Department official said.
He said that maximum traffic allowed towards Jammu from the valley had crossed the Jawahar Tunnel before its closure shortly after 3pm on Friday.
“A decision on resuming the traffic will be taken only after improvement in the weather conditions,” the official said.
Air traffic was also hit at Srinagar airport on Friday afternoon due to poor visibility following the snowfall.
Reports said that several flights were suspended due to poor visibility.
“It has been snowing across Kashmir since afternoon. The men and machinery have been geared up for timely clearance of roads and ensuring minimal disruption in essential services,” an official of the divisional administration said.
The snowfall brought cheers on the faces of people associated with tourism, who feel more tourists will now visit Kashmir this winter.
Although there was a brief spell of snowfall on Wednesday, the fresh downpour has effectively ended the dry weather conditions in the valley which had led to an increase in common ailments like flu, cough and breathing problems, especially among children and elderly.