All flights to Kashmir cancelled due to heavy snowfall, train service restored

Srinagar, Dec 28 As Kashmir valley remained snowbound on Friday with intermittent snow and rain lashing J&K during the day, all flights to and from Srinagar International Airport were cancelled while train service was restored to the valley in the afternoon.

Officials at Srinagar airport said that due to continuous snowfall and very low visibility, all flights to and from the airport have been cancelled.

Train service to the valley resumed in the afternoon after the railway staff restored the tracks.

Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed after hundreds of vehicles got stuck between the Pir Panjal tunnel and Srinagar city.

Authorities kept toiling for the whole day, clearing stranded vehicles and attending to the needs of tourists and others stranded on the highway.

Senior officials including the district magistrates of Kulgam and Anantnag supervised relief and restoration exercises as the SSPs of both these directs spent the entire day on the road with police personnel pushing stranded vehicles, attending to water and other requirements of travellers.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took meetings of senior officials to ensure early restoration of electric power supply, clearance of roads and preparedness at the medical facilities to attend to emergencies caused by the unprecedented snowfall.

The district administration at all the districts in Kashmir valley moved out show clearance machines to restore all roads connecting the districts with each other and towns to the district headquarters.

Despite its vagaries, snowfall has been a welcome occurrence as J&K was reeling under a four-month-long dry spell.

Heavy snowfall in the mountains has replenished the perennial water reservoirs in J&K that sustain various rivers, streams, springs, lakes and other water bodies during the summer months.

Source: IANS