Three days after residents of Jammu and Kashmir were snowed in, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and other key roads remained closed for the third consecutive day on Sunday following snowfall, officials said.
While hundreds of vehicles were stranded at Jakhani in Udhampur on Saturday, officials worked overtime to complete restoration work of the roads.
District Traffic Inspector (DTI) Udhampur, Vinay Gupta, said the National Highway, the road to Srinagar, and the Doda-Kishtwar road were all closed.
“The National Highway has been closed since last night due to snowfall. The road has been temporarily opened for tourists heading to Patnitop. We are checking their hotel bookings and IDs before allowing them to proceed to Patnitop,” he said.
Engineering Officer at the PWD Mechanical Wing, Hidayatullah Zargar, said massive road-clearing operations are underway while a temporary road was created in Bhadra for the passage of ambulance.
“Machinery is deployed everywhere in Doda... In Bhadra, we have created a temporary road for the ambulance while we clear the other roads... We face the most difficulty in Bhadra, especially in the congested areas. In Bhadra, we have created a single lane for now,” he said.
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Incessant snowfall for the second consecutive night in the famous hill resorts of Jammu province, including Patnitop, Nathatop, Sanasar & Batote, besides Banihal, Gool and other reaches, had outlived its charm and turned into a headache for people residing in these areas.
Massive disruptions to power and water supplies, as well as surface (traffic) and telecommunications has paralysed life here.
The Ramban district administration was caught unprepared to face this unexpected heavy snowfall, as the road-clearing machines and the staff of Jammu Power Development Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) and Jal Shakti Vibhag were found to be insufficient.
With the NH44 and NH244 being blocked, markets wore a deserted look, especially in Batote market of Ramban district, where shopkeepers had to down their shutters for the second consecutive day.
It was only the tourists and their families who were seen enjoying the snow, having gone all the way to experience its delight.
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