Normal life was thrown out of gear in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday as air and road connectivity with the rest of the country snapped due to Friday night’s heavy snowfall across the Union Territory.
All flights to Srinagar were cancelled due to bad weather.
The Srinagar Airport announced on X; “Due to bad weather conditions, all flights at Srinagar Airport have been cancelled. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for updates. We regret the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.”
The road connectivity in Kashmir remained snapped with the rest of the country since Friday afternoon due to heavy snowfall.
All three road links between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley are closed due to snow.
The nearly 300 km Jammu-Srinagar highway is blocked with snow beyond Banihal, leaving hundreds of travellers, including women and children, stranded.
The Mughal Road linking the Rajouri and Poonch districts with the Valley is also closed to vehicular traffic.
The Sinthan Pass on the Kishtwar-Anantnag highway is blocked with heavy snowfall.
The road linking Bhaderwah with Chamba in Himachal Pradesh is also shut.
Traffic on the Sonamarg-Kargil road has also been stopped.
The Valley-based Chinar Corps of the Indian Army rescued 68 tourists, including women and children, stranded in heavy snow at the Gulmarg tourist destination in Kashmir. Among the rescued were 30 women, 8 children and 30 men.
The Chinar Corps wrote on X; “Chinar Warriors responded to a distress call from civil administration to evacuate tourists stranded due to unprecedented heavy snowfall in tourist destination of Gulmarg and the subsequent closure of the road to Tangmarg. Providing assistance in evacuation of 68 civilians including 30 ladies, 30 gentlemen and 08 children along with provisioning of hot meals, shelter & medication for a total of 137 tourists”.
Meanwhile, the first widespread snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir has exposed the administration’s unpreparedness to handle the situation.
Hundreds of travellers and tourists stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar highway since Friday evening were heard cursing the administration for its failure to clear the snow blocking the road.
Electric supply was also disrupted in certain parts of Jammu and Kashmir Valley.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote about the power supply failure in Kashmir on X; “In Kashmir region, 41 power feeders at 33 KV level and 739 feeders at 11kv level are down. None at 132kv or 220 level. Restoration work is underway and more than 90% of feeders are expected to be up and functional by evening today. I’m in regular touch with the PDD team to monitor the situation,” he said.
Traffic Police said the strategic “Jammu-Srinagar NHW was still closed. Snow clearance work is hampered due to heavy snowfall at NAVYUG, men and machinery are on the job. Commuters are advised to avoid journeys till the weather improves and the road is cleared”.
The Sinthan Pass, linking Kishtwar with Kashmir, Mughal Road, and the Sonamarg-Kargil highway are also shut for vehicular traffic.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who drove from Jammu to Srinagar on Friday, said around 2,000 vehicles are stuck between the tunnel and Qazigund on the highway.
Men and machinery have been deployed in Srinagar and other towns to clear snow from the roads.
The Chief Minister convened a video conference meeting with all district administrations across Jammu and Kashmir to review snow-clearance operations and restoration of essential services following heavy snowfall in the Kashmir Valley.
The meeting held at the video conference hall in Ganderbal was attended in person by Adviser to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal Shyambir, ADC Ganderbal, and other senior district officials. The Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, and Deputy Commissioners from all districts participated via video conferencing.
The snowfall, which began on Friday, has disrupted normal life in many districts across the Valley.
During the meeting, Deputy Commissioners presented updates on snow clearance, restoration of power and water supplies, and emergency response to deal with inclement weather.
The Chief Minister directed Deputy Commissioners to personally supervise snow clearance operations, emphasising the need to obtain photographic evidence of cleared areas to ensure thorough removal and prevent freezing road conditions as temperatures drop.
He called for a proactive approach, urging officials to deploy adequate manpower and machinery on the ground.
District administrations were instructed to provide two-hourly updates to the CM’s office and the Chief Secretary’s office to keep the government apprised of the situation.
The Chief Engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) informed the CM that 90% of the water supply across the Valley has been restored, with efforts underway to address the remaining 10%.
The Divisional Commissioner of Jammu reported that power and water supply in Jammu districts remain unaffected, while the Chief Secretary confirmed steady progress in restoring electricity feeders and assured that district hospitals are functioning smoothly.
The Chief Minister stressed the importance of ensuring 100% attendance of doctors and paramedical staff at all district and sub-district hospitals to effectively manage emergencies.
Special instructions were issued to the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam to coordinate with airport authorities in assisting stranded tourists and providing transportation if required.
The Chief Minister urged them to remain vigilant, proactive, and responsive to the needs of the people during this challenging period.