Heavy rain continued to lash Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted improvement in the weather by late afternoon.
The rainfall triggered landslides and mudslides on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway at more than 10 places which remained closed for the third day with hundreds of vehicles stranded at various places. Efforts are underway to clear the highway for traffic, officials said.
“No vehicular movement shall be allowed from either side on Jammu-Srinagar highway in view of inclement weather prediction issued by MeT department,” a spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police said.
In Jammu, senior superintendent of police (traffic) national highway, JS Johar said that landslides at Cafeteria Morh, Digdol, Panthial, Shabanbass, Seri and Marog have blocked the highway in Ramban district.
“Men and machinery have been pressed into service to clear the debris from affected stretches,” he said.
Around 300 vehicles were stranded on the highway between Nashri and Chanderkote since Monday night but the traffic department and NHAI authorities worked overnight and the majority of the stranded vehicles in Ramban were cleared.
“The weather has started improving and we hope to restore the affected stretches soon,” said Johar.
The Mughal Road which is an alternate route to connect Kashmir with Jammu, was closed for traffic in December and is expected to be opened in the first week of April after completion of snow clearance operation.
{{/usCountry}}The Mughal Road which is an alternate route to connect Kashmir with Jammu, was closed for traffic in December and is expected to be opened in the first week of April after completion of snow clearance operation.
{{/usCountry}}The Road connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri in Jammu.
The upper reaches in Kashmir h slight snowfall that led to a fall in temperature. The continuous rain also led to water logging at many places and pushed up the water level of the Jhelum river and other big streams in south and north Kashmir.
IMD officials in Srinagar said the upper reaches of Kashmir are witnessing fresh snowfall.
“There will be significant decrease in the amount of rainfall today, but the system will prevail over Jammu and Kashmir till the evening,” a senior IMD official said.
Schools in some areas of Kupwara district were closed for two days due to rain and snow.
Srinagar recorded a maximum of 4.6 degrees Celsius during the night while Jammu recorded 15.9 degrees. Gulmarg was the coldest place in Kashmir as night temperature was recorded at minus 2.5 degrees.