Flights grounded, highway closed as Kashmir receives snowfall for 3rd straight day

Flights remained grounded while the Jammu-Srinagar highway continued to be closed as snowfall battered Kashmir Valley for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.

Officials told India Today TV that no flight could take off or arrive at the Srinagar international airport due to poor visibility and snow on the runway.

The airlines have already cancelled or rescheduled the flights and as per the officials, it was highly unlikely for any operation to take place at the airport in wake of the snowfall.

Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the world, also remained closed for the third consecutive day due to continuous accumulation of snow at several places, especially in and around Jawahar tunnel with snow depths of around 3ft.

Watch | Jammu-Srinagar highway closed due to heavy snowfall in Kashmir

Around 4,500 vehicles, mostly trucks carrying essentials to the valley, are stranded at several places along the 270km stretch.

“Jammu-Srinagar Highway continues to be blocked due to snow accumulation at Jawahar Tunnel and Landslides and mudslides at several places,” a traffic police official told India Today TV.

Mughal Road, which connects the Shopian with Poonch district has been closed for several days due to heavy snowfall in the region. Srinagar-Leh highway has been officially closed on the orders by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir on December 30.

A MeT official said Srinagar received 10 cms of snowfall in the last 24 hours till 10:30 hours while Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded the highest depth in the plains across Valley—29.8cms during the time and 80cms (32inches) in the last 48 hours.