Season’s heaviest snowfall so far affected normal life in all the upper reaches of Rajouri and Poonch districts on Tuesday. Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Rahul Yadav, said that rainfall is going on across the district since Monday evening in low lying areas with all the upper reaches receiving snowfall.
“In Loran, Saujiyan and Surankote areas, all the upper reaches are under heavy snowfall which is going on when last reports were received,” he said.
He added that the road from Surankote to DKG and then to Thanamandi sub-division is closed since Tuesday morning with the road from Chandimarh onwards on Mughal Road also lying closed as the area up to Bufliyaz received snowfall. The DC also said that roads towards Loran Top especially Batalkote and then to Saujiyan Gagriyan in Mandi tehsil are closed. Batalkote road was restored on Tuesday afternoon but it was again closed in the evening.
He also informed that some link roads in LoC area of Balakote are closed due to slippery conditions and the same shall be restored only after improvement in weather conditions.
“Although main 33 KVA feeder of Poonch district is supplying power normally, three feeders of 11 KVA capacity are lying closed due to snags and efforts are on to restore the same,” the DC informed. When asked about loss of life or property, the officer said that a shop got buried under landslide in Arai village of Mandi whereas a few kacha houses have received minor damages also in some other parts but actual information with confirmation shall be available by a day or two.
Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh, said that no report of any loss of life or any major loss of property has been received.
“The road from Thanamandi to DKG is closed and vehicular traffic on some other link roads is also affected but no main road is closed,” he said. He also said that power supply in some hamlets is affected.