Kashmir: Fresh snowfall in higher reaches; excitement among visitors causes traffic snarls

Srinagar, Jan 16 (PTI) The tourist resort of Sonamarg and several other higher reaches in Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Friday, which is expected to give a boost to the tourism sector in the valley, officials said.

Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district received fresh moderate snowfall, which continued till the last reports came in, the officials said.

This led to traffic jams as many visitors flocked to the resort to enjoy the snow. Numerous vehicles were stranded due to the ongoing snowfall, prompting assistance from police and CRPF personnel, officials added.

Other popular areas, such as the upper regions of the famous skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, also received light snowfall.

Additional locations, including Gurez and Razdan Top in Bandipora, Sadhna Top in Kupwara, and the Zojila Axis along the Srinagar-Leh national highway, experienced light to moderate snowfall as well.

The Meteorological Department has forecast snowfall in the higher reaches of the valley and light rain in the plains.

The weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy, with isolated light snow in higher areas on Saturday and Sunday. There is also a possibility of light to moderate rain and snowfall in some locations on January 19-20.

This fresh snowfall is anticipated to benefit the tourism sector in the valley, which took a severe beating last year following the Pahalgam terror attack in April and the busting of a white-collar terror module in November.

Tourism stakeholders in Kashmir have expressed hope that a good snowfall will attract tourists in large numbers. "This snowfall augurs well for the sector, and with the forecast of a few more wet spells in the coming days, it is expected that Kashmir will have a good winter tourism season," Rouf Ahmad, a hotelier, said.

Kashmir is currently within its harshest winter phase, known as 'Chillai-Kalan', which began on December 21 and is expected to last until January 20. During these 40 days, the likelihood of snowfall is highest.

Despite a few spells of snowfall in the higher reaches, the plains have yet to receive significant precipitation, leading to a remarkable deficit in rainfall during both December and January.

This dry weather has resulted in unusually high air quality index (AQI) levels in Srinagar, which even exceeded the dangerous threshold of 500 on Tuesday evening. On Friday, the AQI reading in Srinagar was over 200.

Meanwhile, the administration has prepared personnel and equipment to keep roads operational in areas currently experiencing snowfall, officials said, adding that snow control rooms have also been established in these regions. PTI SSB MPL MPL