Srinagar, Jan 9: Kashmir valley continued to shiver in the bone-chilling cold on Monday, with the minimum temperature staying around minus 4.2 degrees Celsius in the summer capital.
An official of the Meteorological department told Greater Kashmir on Monday that the minimum temperature in Srinagar has improved by few degrees from the yesterday’s low of minus 5.5 deg C.
He said the day temperature had dipped to minus 0.5 degree C, which forced people especially elders and kids to stay in doors.
The weatherman has forecast snowfall or rains in isolated places across the Valley over the next 24 hours. “The overall weather will remain dry till January 13,” the Met official said.
Officer on special duty in Divisional Commissioner’s Office, Aamir Ali said the western disturbances would strike the valley again in coming days. “There is a prediction of heavy snowfall on January 15,” he said. The Met official informed that Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 14.5 deg C, Qazigund, the gateway to valley, recorded minimum temperature of minus -7.4 degree C, while as Kokernag recorded minimum temperature minus minus 7.4, and Kupwara minus 5.0,”.
However temperature in tourist resort Pahalgam dipped to minus 6.8 degree C as compared to the yesterday’s minus 6.0 degree C, the official said.
The water supply pipes were frozen due to drop-in in the night temperature. Water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake, in the Valley were partly frozen due to the severe cold.
After remaining closed three days for traffic movement owing to massive avalanche, the Srinagar-Jammu highway was today opened for one way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar on Monday.
The Srinagar-Jammu highway is the lifeline of Kashmir Valley, as all essential supplies are moved along it, and continued blockade of this crucial road often results in unscrupulous traders resorting to profiteering and black-marketing.
Ali confirmed that, “traffic movement from Jammu-Srinagar was opened today after the weather showed improvement. However, no vehicles will be allowed to travel in the opposite direction.” He told this newspaper all the stranded vehicles on the highway were allowed to move towards Srinagar. “Stranded vehicles carrying passengers and essential supplies to the valley have been allowed to move on priority basis on the highway.”

‘100 STRANDED VEHICLES CLEARED’
Meanwhile, IG Traffic, HK Lohia said this evening that 100 vehicles which were stranded on highway for the last three days were cleared and these have reached Srinagar.
The IG Traffic said that around 60 passenger vehicles and those carrying essential commodities which left Jammu today carrying stranded passengers and essential commodities are likely to reach to Srinagar during 2100 hours.
The IG Traffic has further said that in view of extreme cold and drop of temperature during night, the vehicular movement is not possible. Therefore no vehicle either from Jammu or Srinagar will be allowed on highway tomorrow, he added.
As per the IG Traffic, the efforts are being made to clear the on-way stranded trucks, tankers carrying fuel and other essential commodities vehicles  be allowed to Srinagar.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST