The Hindu : Snow brings cheer to Kashmiris

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 20, 2003

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Snow brings cheer to Kashmiris

By Shujaat Bukhari

Children enjoying the season's first snowfall, at a park in Srinagar on Wednesday. — PTI

JAMMU FEB. 19. After heavy rains during the last four days, there were cheers in Srinagar city last night as it experienced its first heavy snowfall of the season. The snowfall, however, cut Kashmir from the rest of the country as telecommunication was disrupted, flights cancelled and national highways closed.

The snowfall in the upper reaches of Kashmir and in Srinagar city has come as a relief to the residents of the Valley. They have been waiting for it for over three months now, apprehensive of another year of drought.

Srinagar recorded six inches of snow and Gulmarg and Sonamarg five feet.

Incessant rains in Jammu have forced people to go back to the woollens. With water levels on the increase, a bridge under construction over the Tawi river was washed away on Tuesday.

However, children and elders are making merry on the streets, elated at the change of weather, as the mercury has dipped to two degrees Celsius as against the normal of 12 to 14 degrees Celsius. Snow clearing machines are being used at many places, even as the authorities are busy clearing road-links between Srinagar and other major towns. Power supply has also been affected adversely as electric poles have broken. A senior official said all efforts were being made to restore supply.

The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has been closed for the last two days due to snowfall in the Jawahar Tunnel, Qazigund and Banihal.

The Meteorological Department said the weather conditions were likely to continue for some days.

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Snow brings cheer to Kashmiris