Srinagar: Heavy snowfall in Kashmir has brought life in the valley to an absolute standstill – after multiple avalanches and landslides led to a complete disruption of transport services and left hundreds stranded.
The 300-kilometer long Jammu-Srinagar Highway remained closed for the third consecutive day due to avalanches and several people were reportedly trapped under snow at various locations. Hundreds of passengers have been stranded on the Highway and all the supply trucks leading to valley are also stuck.
A man was killed and his wife is still reported missing after an avalanche struck their house in Sundbrabi village of South Kashmir’s Kokernag.
Ten police personnel are also reported missing as another avalanche hit the strategic Jawar tunnel, the nearly three kilometer long double-tube, which connects Kashmir with the rest of the country. Police said that continuous snowfall and strong winds in the area are further hampering rescue operations.
All flights to Srinagar were also cancelled after most parts of Kashmir received heavy to moderate snowfall on Thursday. The crisis deepens, as the local supply of essential commodities in the valley, which is completely cut-off from the rest of the country at the moment, is rapidly drying up.
In order to address the situation, the administration has ordered for the “rationing” of fuel supplies.
“…No petro pump will issue more than 03 numbers of petrol per vehicle per day. Similarly, with respect to diesel they will not issue more than 10 liters to the commercial vehicles per day,” an order issued by Baseer Ahmad Khan, the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir read.
The petroleum companies have been further directed to supply one thousand liters of fuel to the petrol pumps per day and to “reserve a separate quota for emergency vehicles, ambulances, water takers and snow clearance machines”.
With power transmission supplies disrupted, most parts of the valley are reeling under darkness.
In Bandipora area of north Kashmir, four transmission towers that were under-construction collapsed. Meanwhile, in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, only five of the 22 power receiving stations are functional.
An emergency review meeting was held by the top officials on Thursday after which the divisional commissioner, Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan, directed the deputy commissioners to deploy men and machinery for snow clearing operations at all the priority and inter district roads and rescue people trapped in avalanches.
However, conditions in the valley continue to remain bleak.
In several regions, people had to walk through the snow carrying ailing patients on their shoulders in order to reach the hospital. Hundreds of passengers who are left stranded on the highways have made an appeal to the government to provide for emergency aircraft carriers.
Many of them are now seeking shelter at the Jammu bus stand. In the absence of the most basic services, some of them have put-up makeshift set-ups to cook and feed their families.
Sayeeda, a 30-year-old woman, who has been stuck in Jammu for five days told News18 that she is unable to feed her three kids two-time meals. “I am here since five days and have nowhere to go,” she said.
Hailing from Sopore area of north Kashmir, Sayeeda had travelled to Chandigarh to get her ailing mother treated. “We are left with just few hundred rupees. If the situation remains the same I will have to beg,” she said.
Moreover, people allege that hotels are charging up to five times more and the food has become extremely expensive in Jammu. Similarly, there has been an unprecedented hike in air fares. On Thursday, it was observed that the cost of the air tickets from Delhi to Srinagar was more than what the cost of a flight to Dubai or Germany.
Author is a freelance journalist. All views expressed are personal.
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