IMD predicts heavy snow in Jammu & Kashmir this week, 232 expectant moms hospitalised in Kulgam

SRINAGAR: Kashmir Valley and Pir Panjal regions successful J&K whitethorn witnesser large snowfall from aboriginal Friday, with India Meteorological Department (IMD), Srinagar, forecasting that back-to-back occidental disturbances volition interaction the region’s upwind signifier for astir a week.Authorities person stepped up preparedness astatine the territory level. Kulgam Deputy Commissioner Athar Aamir Khan said arsenic a precautionary measure, 232 large women expected to present successful the territory this week had already been hospitalised to guarantee uninterrupted aesculapian attraction during the harsh wintertime spell.With a rainfall shortage of 96% this month, J&K has witnessed an arid winter, starring to wood fires and the drying up of rivers and streams.

IMD Srinagar manager Mukhtar Ahmad connected Thursday said upwind conditions would alteration aboriginal Friday onwards, with mean to dense rainfall and dense snowfall apt successful parts of southbound Kashmir. North Kashmir whitethorn spot mean to dense snow.Ahmad warned that the upwind concern would disrupt postulation and trigger landslides connected large highways, including Srinagar–Leh highway; Mughal Road, which connects Kashmir Valley to Poonch territory successful Jammu division, and Razdan Pass, a high-altitude upland walk connecting northbound Kashmir’s Bandipora territory with the scenic Gurez Valley connected the LoC.

The changing upwind conditions could besides impact aerial postulation connected Friday, Ahmad said, adding that high-altitude areas — including Zojila Pass, Gulmarg and parts of Kupwara — were expected to person 2 to 3 feet of snowfall.With different occidental disturbance apt to impact the portion from Jan 26, Ahmad advised farmers to postpone cultivation activities till Jan 28. He said airy rainfall was expected connected Jan 24-25, and different progressive signifier volition commence from Jan 26 erstwhile mean rainfall and snowfall was expected astatine astir places crossed Kashmir Valley.J&K postulation section issued an advisory urging radical to program question carefully. It requested commuters to corroborate roadworthy conditions with postulation power units successful Srinagar, Ramban and Jammu earlier embarking connected the journey. Passengers and airy centrifugal conveyance operators were advised to usage Jammu–Srinagar NH lone during daytime, with nighttime question discouraged owed to the hazard of shooting stones and landslides.