Heavy snowfall disrupts life across Kashmir
Flight operations, key routes affected; Exams postponed
Srinagar: The occupied Kashmir Valley has been severely impacted by heavy snowfall, leading to widespread disruptions across almost every aspect of daily life, including transportation, communication, and essential services.
According to Kashmir Media Service, flight operations at Srinagar Airport are currently on hold, with both arrivals and departures suspended until further notice. Srinagar Airport Director, Javed Anjum, urged travelers to verify the status of their flights before heading to the airport, as operations remain on standby.
In addition to the airport disruptions, train services between Banihal and Baramulla have been suspended due to heavy snow accumulation on the tracks.
The snowfall, which has blanketed much of the Kashmir Valley, has resulted in significant snow accumulation in several areas. Sinthan Top recorded 4 feet of snow, while Margan Top, Peer Ki Gali, and Baltal Pahalgam each saw 3 feet. According to the Meteorological Department’s Srinagar office, areas like Islamabad, Kulgam, and Shopian reported snow depths ranging from 1.5 to 2 feet. In lower-altitude areas, such as Pampore, the snowfall was comparatively lighter, with 1 foot recorded, while Srinagar itself saw 8 inches of snow.
The heavy snow has rendered key road routes impassable, including the Srinagar-Jammu Highway, the Mughal Road, Sinthan Road, Sonamarg-Kargil Road, and Bhaderwah-Chamba Road, severely hampering transportation across the region. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway between the Pir Panjal tunnel and Srinagar city as heavy snowfall coupled with sub-zero temperature froze accumulated snow on the highway.
The power supply has also been heavily affected, with widespread outages reported across the Kashmir Valley, leaving many areas without electricity.
The disruption has extended to academic schedules, with both the University of Kashmir and Cluster University announcing the postponement of all examinations originally scheduled for Saturday due to the adverse weather conditions.
