Heavy snowfall in Valley, all flights cancelled

Srinagar, Nov 14 (PTI) Heavy snowfall and thunderstorms
hit Kashmir Valley marking early onset of winter as normal
life was paralysed and all flights, including those scheduled
to carry Haj pilgrims, cancelled Friday.

A six-inch-thick blanket of snow covered Srinagar and
other parts of the valley as the first snowfall of the season
which is usually experienced in December continued overnight
forcing closure of Srinagar-Leh National Highway for vehicular
traffic for six months.

All nine flights, including two Air India flights
scheduled to leave Srinagar for Jeddah, were cancelled due to
inclement weather, leaving 300 pilgrims stranded.

Co-ordinator of the State's Disaster Management Cell
Aamir Ali told PTI that there was heavy snowfall in the entire
Valley, including Gulmarg, which has witnessed two feet snow
since Thursday.

"There has been snowfall in all parts, including Gurez,
Karnah, Macchil, Anantnag, Pahalgam, Shopian, Kupwara and
Kangan," Ali said.

There were no reports of any loss of life or major
damage to property. However electric poles and trees
were uprooted at many places, he said.

This is for the first time in four years that snowfall
in the city has been witnessed as early as November. The usual
time for snowfall in the city is late December or early
January.

"All the district routes have been cleared but it has
been snowing continuously, causing some problems," he said.

The early snowfall has been caused by unusual western
disturbances over Kashmir, a MET official said.

Thunderstorms occurred at many places which was unusual
for this time of the year.

However, Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only road
link between the Valley and rest of the country, remained open
to traffic.

The Srinagar airport runway was buried under six
inches of snow. An airport spokesman said "poor visibility"
forced cancellation of flights.

The 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway was also
closed for vehicular traffic Friday morning, the sources said.

The highway, scheduled to close for six months on
October 31, was kept open for traffic due to dry weather.

The sources said the roads connecting the border towns
of Gurez in Bandipora district, Tangdhar, Teetwal, Keran,
Karnah, Machil in Kupwara district were also closed. PTI AMS
DEP