Due to unexpected rains and snowfall over the last few days over Jammu & Kashmir leads to major destruction in the normal life of the locals as well as the travelers and tourists. As the snowfall started, all the streets and highways blocked due to accumulation of snow which prohibited any vehicular movement in the Srinagar-Jammu highway and lead the valley of Jammu & Kashmir off from the rest of the states in our country.
Snowfall wreaks havoc in J&K
There were almost 300 passengers who were traveling to Jammu and were stuck near Jawahar Tunnel on the highway out of which some them were also soldiers. The passengers were rescued safely and were shifted to Banihal and were also provided food and water till the situation was under control.
Talking about the locals who were adversely affected as the power supply was shut down due to heavy snowfall in the Srinagar as well as some other districts of valley in a freezing cold climate.
Srinagar, Deputy Commissioner, Syed Abid Rasheed also tweeted on commenting on the seriousness of the situation, “We are facing near full power outage. Have been desperately trying for restoration of power supply. We use 1300 MW normally, the system is transmitting only 80 MW now. Massive outage of Grid Stns & Transmission lines due to trees full of foliage. Abt 3500 KM length of line to be restored. 7000 plus employees of PDD on job to restore. We are fighting natures fury to restore the power supply on WAR FOOTING.
Entire staff & administration fighting it out on the ground for restoration. We understand fully that this is collectively very tough all of us, however please know that we will work all through the night & do out best to restore asap.”
On Saturday night in some of the places in Srinagar electricity supply was restored but the majority of locals in freezing cold conditions remained without electricity power.
For the ease of movement in the highway for the vehicles and passengers, the District Administrative has given orders to clear the roads through snow clearance machines.
Locals who were adversely affected from the unexpected heavy snowfall were the apple-growers community as it was the harvesting time after apple cultivation. More than half of the apple produced was not even harvested. The heavy snowfall either led to fall of the apples on the ground or damaged the trees which were still carrying apples on their branches. Their apple farms were fully covered by snow after heavy snowfall which leads to destruction of their farm as well as the harvested apples. Those who even made up transporting apples just before snowfall also got affected as the trucks were blocked in the highways which lead to further damages. This kind of freezing cold temperature is not good for apples thus leading to serious damage to the apple quality.
The apple cultivation communities of Jammu & Kashmir are claiming the losses worth hundreds of crores, meanwhile the State Horticulture department said that it is not yet revealed the total loss in apple cultivation due to heavy snowfall, an official survey is going to start in order to estimate the total damages due to unexpected heavy snowfall.
