Srinagar/Jammu: Normal life and travel across Jammu and Kashmir have been severely disrupted for the second day, as heavy overnight rain in the plains and fresh snowfall in the higher reaches triggered multiple landslides and led to road closures.
Officials confirmed on Tuesday that traffic on several vital arteries has been suspended:
- The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
- The Srinagar-Leh National Highway.
- The Mughal Road and Sinthan Top roads.
Highways Paralyzed by Landslides and Snow
The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which serves as the sole all-weather road connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country, was closed for vehicular movement on Tuesday morning. This was due to a combination of landslides and shooting stones at numerous points between Udhampur and Banihal.
Road clearance agencies have been mobilized, and officials are working to restore traffic as quickly as possible. Traffic has been stopped at Nagrota in Jammu, and authorities are hopeful of clearing the backlog by late afternoon. The highway was scheduled for traffic to ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Tuesday, following the alternative one-way schedule put in place due to ongoing repair work after heavy damage from record August-September rainfall.
Meanwhile, the 434-km Srinagar-Leh National Highway and the alternative routes of Mughal and Sinthan roads are also closed due to significant snow accumulation. The Zojila Pass along the Srinagar-Leh highway recorded six inches of snowfall. Snowfall reports were also received from high-altitude areas like Peer Ki Gali along the Mughal Road and Sinthan Top in Kishtwar district (three to four inches).
Authorities have advised people not to travel until the highways are fully restored.
Pilgrimages and Schools Remain Closed
The severe weather has forced the continued suspension of two major pilgrimages:
- Pilgrimages to the Vaishno Devi temple atop the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district remained suspended for the third consecutive day. Katra, the base camp for the Vaishno Devi temple, recorded 44 mm of rain.
- The pilgrimage to the Machail Mata shrine in Kishtwar district also remained suspended.
Both pilgrimages are scheduled to resume on Wednesday.
In the education sector, all government and private schools across the Jammu division remained closed for the second day on Tuesday.
Temperature Plummets Following Heavy Rain
The heavy precipitation caused a considerable drop in temperatures. According to the meteorological department:
- Udhampur recorded the highest rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am Tuesday at 100.2 mm.
- Jammu city recorded a maximum temperature of 21.3∘C, which is 11.1∘C below normal for this time of the season. The minimum temperature also dropped by nearly six degrees to 15∘C.
The weather department has offered a glimmer of hope, predicting a general improvement in overall weather conditions from Wednesday, with no rain or snowfall expected during the next fortnight.