More trucks carrying essentials reach Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 13: The Jammu-Srinagar highway that was restored for one-way traffic Tuesday afternoon remained so on Wednesday as well with reports confirming that over 1,400 vehicles crossed the Jawahar Tunnel and reached Kashmir.
The strategic highway was restored for one-way traffic on Tuesday after six days following avalanches and landslides.
Since Tuesday afternoon some 700 trucks carrying fuel, vegetables, poultry, mutton and other essentials crossed the Jawahar Tunnel to reach the valley.
“Today also, we will be allowing the stranded traffic to move on the highway to decongest the road,” reports quoting a traffic official said.
Meanwhile, the Valley received fresh snowfall and rains overnight, leading to an increase in the minimum temperature, even as the Meteorological department has forecast moderate precipitation across the state for the next two days.
Fresh snowfall was recorded in Gulmarg and Pahalgam tourist resorts as well as in Kupwara, an official of the Met office here said.
He said while Gulmarg , the famous ski resort in north Kashmir, received 30 cm snow during the night, Pahalgam, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, recorded 3 cm snow.
Kupwara in north Kashmir received three inches of fresh snow, he added.
The official said there are reports of fresh snowfall in a few other areas in the higher reaches of the Valley.
Plain areas, including summer capital Srinagar, received a mix of snow and rains during the night which continued till the morning on Wednesday, he said.
The cloud cover over the Valley led to an increase in the night temperature, providing some relief to the residents form the cold conditions.
Srinagar recorded the minimum temperature of minus 0.1 degree Celsius last night – against minus 1.0 degrees Celsius on the previous night, the official said Wednesday.
He said the minimum temperature also increased in Qazigund which recorded a low of 0.8 degree Celsius, Kokernag (minus 0.3 degree Celsius), Kupwara (0.2 degree Celsius), Pahalgam (minus 0.3 degree Celsius) and Gulmarg (minus 3.0 degrees Celsius).
The Met office has forecast moderate rain/ snow at widespread places in Kashmir, fairly widespread in Jammu and scattered in Ladakh over two days from Wednesday.