Kashmir received the season’s highest snowfall on Saturday, which caused trouble for locals and tourists alike, disrupting essential services, traffic movement, and flights
Kashmir is currently expereincing Chillai Kalan, a 40-day period of intense cold (File Pic/PTI)
As Kashmir experiences peak winter season, it is experiencing intense snowfall and is covered in a thick white blanket. While snowfall is a major attraction for tourists during this time of the year, it has done more than just make this place more beautiful.
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Kashmir received the season’s highest snowfall on Saturday, which caused trouble for locals and tourists alike, disrupting essential services, traffic movement, and flights. The disruption continued on Sunday although administrative efforts restored electricity in most parts of the Valley.
Transportation issues
If you have planned a trip to ‘Paradise on Earth’ this winter, especially in December or January, it is essential to know that there might be a possibility of flights or trains getting cancelled, and roads being blocked.
Srinagar-Jammu national highway, Mughal Road, Srinagar-Leh highway and all roads through mountain passes remained closed for the second day on Sunday. Additionally, roads and highways remained highly slippery due to frozen layers of snow left behind after clearance machines cleared most of the fallen snow on Saturday. This prevented traffic movement on Sunday morning as people preferred to remain indoors to protect themselves.
Flights to Srinagar International Airport were also cancelled on Saturday, and the airport officials said the situation was being reviewed for restoration of flights.
Kashmir weather
The region received heavy snowfall and rain this weekend. The Meteorological (MeT) office has forecast generally cloudy weather with occasional sunshine in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the local MeT department told IANS, “Two Western disturbances (WDs) are expected to affect the weather system on January 1 and January 3. The first WD is likely to be weak, but the second WD is expected to be of moderate intensity that will cause snow in the Valley and rain/snow in the Jammu division.”
The WD is the name given to an extratropical storm in the Mediterranean Sea that causes snowfall and rain in India, Pakistan and Nepal.
Srinagar recorded minus 0.2, Gulmarg minus 8.5 and Pahalgam minus 8 as the minimum temperature on Sunday.
Kashmir is currently experiencing Chillai Kalan – a 40-day period of intense cold starting from December 21 and continuing till January 29.
Health issues
One common ailment during winter months in Kashmir has been fractured limbs caused by slippery pedestrian malls, etc., in the Valley. This results in a heavy patient load at various hospitals.
Doctors at the cardiology department of Srinagar Medical College have issued an advisory to the general public cautioning them against heart attacks and heart failures caused by exposure to cold conditions.
People of high-risk age groups have been asked not to expose themselves to extremes of cold as this coupled with chest infections can cause deaths due to heart failure during winter months.
(With inputs from IANS)
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