Kashmiri guides pull sleighs carrying tourists after heavy snowfall in in Gulmarg on Sunday. (Press Trust of India)
Kashmir witnessed season's heaviest snowfall as the arterial Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the second consecutive day today.
Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded snowfall of 18 cm, equivalent to 53.8 mm rainfall since yesterday, a Meteorological Department spokesman said.
Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir Baramulla district recorded one feet of snow while Kokernag in south Kashmir received 1.6 feet of snowfall during the corresponding period, the spokesman said.
He said Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for annual Amarnath Yatra, in Anantnag district recorded nearly eight inches of snow.
The snowfall has resulted in fresh cold wave as the night temperature dipped by two degrees in Srinagar to settle at minus 0.3 degree Celsius.
Gulmarg was the coldest place in Kashmir division as the Mercury settled at minus 7 degrees Celsius while Kargil in Ladakh region recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.
The downpour has resulted in fresh landslides at several places along the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national Highway, the only all weather road link between Kashmir and rest of the country, a traffic department spokesman said.
"Vehicular traffic on the Highway remains suspended for the second day now. As soon as the landslides are cleared, the road will be thrown open for traffic," he said.
The spokesman said work was going on at war footing to clear the debris of the landslides from the highway. Meanwhile, normal life was thrown out of gear in Kashmir due to the snowfall which resulted in snapping of electricity supply and telephone connections.
Officials said electric poles and trees were uprooted at many places due to snowfall.
All major roads were cleared off snow by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation early in the morning, allowing movement of vehicular traffic within the city, the officials said.
They said inter-district routes have also been made traffic worthy by the concerned agencies at the shortest possible time.
"We are now working to restore electricity supply as soon as possible," the officials added.