PR Log (Press Release) –
Dec 01, 2009 – The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway was closed for winter due to heavy snowfall and slippery road, while weather condition has improved in the Kashmir valley where the minimum temperature was recorded at 2.3 degree celsius, two degree above normal this morning.
However, Kokernag was the coldest in the Valley where the minimum temperature was minus 2 degree while people in Ladakh region continued to shiver due to below freezing temperature.
"We have put a total ban on any traffic movement on the Srinagar-Leh national highway, life line to Ladakh region, because of slippery road conditions and heavy snowfall, official sources said here.
The sources said due to minus temperature, snow on the highway from Sonamarg to Matayan got freezed during the night, making the traffic movement impossible. The freezing snow did not melt even during the day when the temperature remained low.
The highway was to close on November 1 for winter months. However, due to dry weather, it was decided to allow traffic movement on the highway till weather permitted.
However, on November 10, there was heavy snowfall, forcing the authorities to close the highway from both sides.
But after putting all resources together, BEACON and civil administration reopened the highway and cleared all vehicles stranded on both sides of the Zojila pass. About 1250 passengers stranded at Kargil, Drass and Leh besides Srinagar were airlifted free of cost to their respective destinations.
Since the road has became very risky following slippery conditions and snow, it had been decided to close the highway for winter and would reopen it only next year, the sources said, adding that Section 144 was imposed in the dangerous zone of the highway to thwart any attempt by anybody to travel.
The Centre and the State have already announced to construct a tunnel at Zojila to make it all weather highway, which witness 15 to 30 feet of snowfall during winter.
The authorities decided to operate helicopter service thrice in a week between Kargil and Srinagar and once between Kargil and Jammu.
Adequate stock of essential commodities, including rice, flour, sugar, kerosene oil, diesel and gas cylinders have been made in all parts of the Ladakh region for these months.
Private dealers also stocked eggs, pulses, biscuits and other essentials.
People in Leh continued to witness severe cold as the minimum temperature was recorded minus 8.4 degree this morning while it was minus 3.8 degree in Kargil.
However, temperature in hilly areas and Drass, the world’s coldest place after Siberia, was minus 5 degree to minus 18 degree.
Despite minus 20 degree, troops remained deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) to thwart any infiltration from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
However, security forces were being provided special cloths and food to meet the weather and other challenges.
The troops, facing all odds, remained deployed on the LoC since 1999 when Pakistani intruders occupied all heights in Drass and Kargil sectors. It took more than three months to the forces to push back the intruders.
Srinagar and its adjoining areas witnessed improvement in the weather condition.
The coldest night in the summer capital was on November 20 when the minimum temperature went down to minus 3 degree.
However, there is a possibility of Western Disturbances (WD), originating from the Arabian sea, to enter the region through Afghanistan and Pakistan early next week.
Kokernag in South Kashmir was the coldest place in the Valley where the minimum temperature was minus 2 degree. However, world-famous tourist resort of Pahalgam, the base camp of holy Amarnath cave, recorded zero temperature this morning, which is again above normal.
http://www.jammu-kashmir-ladakh.com/ladakh/
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