Heavy snowfall, incessant rains inundate Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 8: For the fourth consecutive day Monday, the upper reaches across the Kashmir valley received heavy snowfall while the plains were lashed by incessant rains resulting in a further dip in temperature.
The meteorological department officials said the ski-resort of Gulmarg received 180 centimetres of snow while Qazigund received 7.2 mm, Pahalgam 4.2 mm, Kupwara 31.8 mm and Kokernag 6.1mm of rain and snow on Monday.
They said rain and snowfall would occur at most places in state while hailstorm would occur at isolated places in Jammu division. The Met officials issued warnings predicting heavy snowfall and rains at few places in Valley in next 48 hours mainly over south Kashmir.
It has been snowing in higher reaches since Friday while the plains including Srinagar received uninterrupted rains for the past 24 hours. Heavy snowfall continued throughout the day in the upper reaches of Varmul, Kupwara, Bandipora, Uri, Shopian and tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
It may be recalled that the divisional commissioner office has issued high avalanche warnings for Sonamarg, Gagangeer, Drass, Bhimbat, Batalik, Dhudi and SM Hill for another 24 hours.
A statement from divisional commissioner office said that avalanches were also expected in Khelan Marg, Razdhan pass, Z Galli, Keran, Furkiyan top, Machil, Sadna top, Gurez, Chokibal and with low danger avalanches on either side of Banihal Tunnel.
Most of the areas in the Kupwara district, including Moori Kalaroos, Khurhama, Doben, Batpora, Hayhama, Kachama, Melyal, Chowkibal, Wadar bala, Mawar, and Zachaldara remained cut off due to snow.
The snowfall has brought smiles on the faces of fruit growers and farmers.
“Snowfall has relieved us. It will enhance the chances of good fruit yield,” said Ghulam Muhammad a fruit merchant of Varmul.
The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar was 1 degree Celsius, they said resulting in a dip in 6 degrees temperature. Kokernag, Qazigund and Pahalgam, which reeled under sub-zero temperature during winter, recorded a low of 2.4, 1.6 and 0.5 degree Celsius respectively.
Umer Maqbool Dar/Shahid Rafiq from North Kashmir: In the frontier district of Kupwara, the power supply and vehicular movement in the higher reaches remained affected due to continuous snowfall for the consecutive fourth day Monday.
Reports reaching Greater Kashmir from the nook and corner of this frontier district said that the entire area is reeling under darkness due to incessant damage to electric poles and lines by uninterrupted snowfall for the past four days.
Residents of several areas in Rajwar, Vilgam, Mawar, Hyama, Kralpora, Loalab told Greater Kashmir that they are facing shortage of power supply for past four days.
Massive damage has been inflicted to electric poles and wires by heavy snowfall in ten villages of Nowgam with population of more than 4000 people, pushing them into darkness.
While talking to Greater Kashmir, the executive engineer, Power Development Department Abdul Qayoom said that electricity has been restored in Kupwara and Trehgam areas.
“Our men are on the job and there has been damage to electric poles in some areas of Kupwara. We are yet to test about Handwara as our supply line has been stopped,” he added.
The district development commissioner Kupwara, Showkat Ahmad Mir told Greater Kashmir that despite shortage of machinery we are putting all out efforts to clear the snow from roads and to restore the electricity.
Parvaiz Reshi from Ganderbal: Heavy snowfall in upper reaches of Ganderbal and rain in plains continued for the fourth successive day on Monday.
The tourist resort of Sonamarg received 3 feet snow blocking the Srinagar-Leh highway from Gagengeer ahead leaving the people of the snowbound areas cut-off.
“Though the Srinagar-Leh highway was closed for the vehicular movement earlier in the November-December last year but the continued spell of heavy snowfall has blocked the road completely ahead of Gagengeer” officials told Greater Kashmir.
“Continued snowfall has stopped the ongoing work of our intended early clearance of the road however once the snowfall stops the clearance work will be resumed,” they added.
Meanwhile, the superintendent of police Ganderbal, Mir Imtiyaz Hussain told Greater Kashmir that the district police Ganderbal have asked the people living in the snowbound areas particularly in and around Sonamarg to contact on the phone numbers, 0194-2416478(PCR Ganderbal) and 9906437877 in case of any sort of emergencies and avalanches.

VARMUL
 The incessant rains and the snowfall led to the electricity failure in Varmul on Monday. “Our villages have been reeling under darkness since yesterday,” residents of Wagoora, Rafiabad, Delina and other areas said.

SOUTH KASHMIR
 The higher reaches of South Kashmir received heavy to moderate snowfall while the plains were lashed with rains on Monday.
 According to officials, Islamabad received continuous rains while Shopian received 5 inch, Heepora 3 feet, Yusmarg 3 feet of snow on Monday.
 People are complaining of shortage of power supply due to incessant rains and snowfall.
 “Even slight snow damages the decayed wooden electric poles of department. We have not seen any PDD employee repairing lines .The power department is in deep slumber and if this attitude continues it might takes weeks for restoration of electricity,” said Nazir Ahmed of Arwani.

DOWNPOUR DELUGES CITY
 Scores of residential colonies in the Srinagar city have been submerged due to incessant rains and lack of drainage.
 Locals are complaining that heavy rainfall, coupled with ineffective drainage system is playing the spoilsport in the winter season. And those in the low-lying areas complain that even the slightest downpour inundates their houses.
 Meteorological department has predicted that more rain is expected in the region in the next 48 hours while Kashmir valley received 37.1mm of rain on Monday.
 Greater Kashmir received complaints from many areas like Batamalloo, Lal Bazar, Omarabad, Pirbagh, Rawal Pora and Bagh-e-Mehtab that the colonies have submerged due to continued waterlogging.
 Roads leading to dozens of houses in Omarabad, Peerbagh on the city outskirts are in ankle deep waters. The locals said they couldn’t move out of their houses.
 “Water has entered many houses and it poses risk to the foundations,” the residents complained.
 The Srinagarites have appealed the District Development Commissioner, Meraj Ahmed Kakroo to look into the matter and get the dewatering started at the earliest. (Within inputs from Parveiz Reshi, Khalid Gul, Umar Maqbool and Shahid Rafiq).