Srinagar-Jammu National Highway closed due to landslides

The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only all-weather road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for traffic for the second consecutive day on Tuesday due to landslides at some places.

The highway was closed following landslides triggered by rains at some places, an official of the Traffic Control Room said.

The official said men and machinery have been pressed into service to clear off the muck left behind by the landslides and the road is expected to reopen for traffic on Wednesday.

Landslides occurred at some places between Ramban and Panthal areas along the nearly 300-km long highway on Monday due to rains.

Most parts of Kashmir Valley have received intermittent rains since February 17, which continued last night as well.

A spokesman of the Meteorological Department here said most parts of the Valley received rains overnight, while Pahalgam recorded fresh snowfall of about 20 cm.

Meanwhile, the night temperature across Kashmir division, including Ladakh region, went down last night.

Srinagar - the summer capital of the state - recorded the minimum temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius, down from 5.8 degrees Celsius the previous night, the spokesman said.

He said Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir along the highway, registered a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag town recorded a low of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius.

He said Kupwara town of north Kashmir registered a minimum of 2 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature recorded at the famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir was 0.2 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said, adding the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.

Leh was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 6.7 degrees Celsius. The nearby Kargil town recorded a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.

The spokesman said there is possibility of light rainfall or snow, especially in the higher reaches of Kashmir, on Tuesday, after which the weather is likely to remain dry.