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PIX: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, national highway closed

Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST

Road and air traffic was suspended yet again as Kashmir Valley was lashed by fresh snowfall on Monday morning.

According to a senior officer of the Border Roads Organisation, which maintains the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only road link to the landlocked valley, it has been snowing heavily on either side of the Pir Panjal mountain range, blocking the highway.

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PIX: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, national highway closed

Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST

"The highway is closed on either side of the Jawahar tunnel that connects Kashmir with Jammu. Though we are continuously clearing the highway, the quantum of the snowfall is hampering our efforts," the BRO officer said.

"There are is an accumulation of nearly two feet snow near the tunnel," he added.

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PIX: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, national highway closed

Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST

The snowfall has also disrupted the air traffic and no flight was able to land on Monday morning. The snowfall began on Monday after overnight rains, affecting life in the valley.

The divisional administration has said that it is fully geared up to meet the challenge. Snow clearing machines have been deployed for clearing the main arteries in case of heavy snowfall.

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PIX: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, national highway closed

Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST

The MET office has predicted moderate snowfall and rains in the valley in next 24 hours.

The recent improvement in weather that resulted in the opening of the highway led to replenishments of stocks and supplies in the valley, which had been running short of essentials like LPG, fresh vegetables, milk and mutton products.

"We now have sufficient stocks of LPG in the valley," a senior officer said. 

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PIX: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, national highway closed

Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST

The summer capital, where the minimum temperature had hovered just above the freezing point, recorded 5.6 millimeters of rainfall, an official said.

He said south Kashmir's Pahalgam resort, where the overnight temperature plunged more than one degree below freezing point, received 47.0 millimeters of rainfall and 55 centimeters of fresh snowfall.

The fresh snowfall in Pahalgam had increased the amount of accumulated snow in the resort to one meter, he said.

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PIX: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, national highway closed

Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST

Kokernag resort, also in south Kashmir, received 30.2 millimeters of rainfall and twelve inches of snow.

Gulmarg skiing resort, where the mercury had fallen to minus 6.0 degrees Celsius, in north Kashmir received 18.2 millimeters of rainfall and nine inches of fresh snowfall, he said.

North Kashmir's frontier Kupwara town received six centimeters of snowfall and 12.5 millimeters of rainfall, the official said.

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Last updated on: February 13, 2012 14:09 IST
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