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Remote areas remain cutoff in North Kashmir

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 1/15/2020 4:51:45 PM

SRINAGAR, Jan 14: Roads to dozens of far flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), remained closed for the third successive day on Tuesday in north Kashmir due to accumulation of several feet of snow.
Meanwhile, traffic on roads leading to border town Gurez, which is surrounded by Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) from three sides, remained suspended for the 14th successive day on Tuesday due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of several feet of snow.
“Fresh 2 to 5 feet of snow was received since Saturday night in the upper reaches in north Kashmir,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, told media over phone on Saturday.
He said about 5 feet of snow has accumulated on Kupwara-Karnah and Kupwara-Keran roads while about 7 feet of snow has accumulated on Kupwara-Machil road. “Due to accumulation of snow, traffic on different routes, leading to far flung and remote areas, including LoC, remained suspended,” he said.
He said due to below sub-zero night temperature following open skies, the snow has frozen, resulting in hardship in snow clearance operations undertaken on Tuesday.
People in these border areas allege hardships due to frequent suspension of traffic on the roads during winter. Traffic on Kupwara-Karnah and Kupwara-Machil was allowed to ply on Saturday after remaining closed for four days due to accumulation of snow. Meanwhile, border town of Keran was reconnected to the district headquarter on Friday after remaining closed for three days.
Razdan pass, connecting Gurez, Neeru and dozens of other areas near LoC with district headquarters Bandipora, remained closed due to accumulation of snow and fresh snowfall.
A police official told media that fresh about 2 feet of snow occurred in the area since Saturday night. “About 80 per cent of the road has been damaged and it is highly unlikely that these areas will be reconnected to district headquarter before March,” he added.
The government has approved a tunnel at Razdan pass to make it an all weather road.
Officials said administration has stocked enough essentials, including rice, atta, sugar, LPG cylinders, medicine at areas which remained cut off during winter with their district and tehsil headquarters in both the district.