Snowfall ends Kashmir’s dry spell, business picks up

While a thin layer of crystal white snow carpeted the Srinagar City and other low-lying areas, the upper reaches of the valley experienced a heavy snowfall forcing the closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. Five army personnel have also reportedly gone missing after avalanches hit two different army bases in northern Kashmir.

According to officials of the local Meteorological Department, Srinagar has received 3.5 centimeters of snow while the famous tourist resorts of Pehalgam and Gulmarg have received 25 and 65 centimeters snow respectively during the previous night.

“Weather will remain inclement for at least the next 48 hours. More rains and snow are expected during this period,” said an official at Srinagar’s MeT department.

Even as the snowfall brought an end to the prolonged dry spell, it brought smiles to the faces of locals in valley.

“We are happy to witness a good snowfall. It has put an end to a rather long dry spell. Kashmir, in this season, really looks mesmerizing,” said Zakir Ahmad Sheikh, a local resident.

Due to the snowfall, the hoteliers in valley are expecting a good inflow of tourists and a boost to winter sports.

“As the mountains of Valley finally get snowcapped , we expect a good number of winter tourists during this season” said Shabir Ahmad, a hotelier in Gulmarg.

Jammu-Srinagar Highway Closed

The 300 Km Srinagar – Jammu National highway remained closed for the second straight second day on Tuesday due to heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop.

“We have closed the National highway due to the heavy accumulation of snow at Jawahar tunnel and Patnitop’’ said a National Highway traffic police official.

Traffic police in Srinagar has also issued an advisory asking passengers, who are planning to travel along the road, to contact the Traffic Control Room before leaving for their respective destinations.

Five solidiers missing

Five soldiers have gone missing in the twin North Kashmir districts of Bandipora and Kupwara after two army camps were hit by avalanches.

While three army soldiers went missing in Bakote area of Gurez in Bandipora district after an avalanche hit their camp, reports pouring in from frontier district of Kupwara suggest the disappearance of two jawans in an avalanche strike.

Kangirs and Pehrans in demand

As Kashmir shivers at sub-zero temperature, the demand for kangirs, an earthen potable fire pot encased with wickers, and pehrans, a knee-long woolen gown, have been growing across the valley. Since ages, people in Kashmir have been using kangirs and pehrans to keep themselves warm during the frosty winters. People use kangirs filled with embers to keep the bone-chilling cold at bay.

“There is always a very good demand for the kangirs and pehrans as soon as winter sets in. Over the past months, I have sold more than two hundred kangirs and a few hundred meters of woolen for pehrans,” said Shabir Ahmad Wani, a cloth and kangir merchant in Srinagar.

Besides being an economical source of energy, one of the main reasons for people preferring kangirs over the electric heaters is the frequent power outages that Valley witnesses during the frosty winters.