Flights canceled, roads blocked, and thousands stranded as heavy snowfall hits Kashmir, India

A heavy snowfall event in Kashmir brought life to a standstill by impacting essential services and transportation networks on December 28. Snow accumulations ranged between 13 to 30 cm (5 to 12 inches) with areas like Razdan Top recording the highest levels.

All flights at Srinagar International Airport were canceled because of snow-covered runways leaving several passengers stranded.

Runway clearance operations continued with flight resumption depending on weather conditions. Rail services in south Kashmir were suspended in the morning but resumed by afternoon as confirmed by Saqib Yousuf Yatoo, Chief Area Manager.

A tourist tragically lost her life when a boulder hit a vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Ramban district. The incident occurred in Mehar where the woman sustained fatal head injuries.

Traffic along the 270 km (168 miles) Srinagar-Jammu highway (a route connecting the valley to the rest of India) remained at a standstill. Since the afternoon of December 27 over 500 vehicles including 350 heavy motor vehicles and 150 light motor vehicles have been stranded.

Gulmarg received 94 cm (37 inches) of snow, Sonamarg recorded 91 cm (36 inches), and Dodhpatri accumulated 61 cm (24 inches).

In the Kupwara district, plains saw 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) of snow, while higher elevations like Razdan Top received up to 1.5 m (5 feet). Srinagar itself recorded 13 to 30 cm (5 to 12 inches) and Qazigund accumulated 61 cm (24 inches).

Ravinder Pal Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic), confirmed ongoing highway snow clearance operations though slippery conditions have impeded progress.

Locals in districts such as Ganderbal and Budgam stepped in to assist stranded travelers, including children, by offering shelter in their homes and mosques. Around 16 stranded passengers were rescued.

The heavy snowfall brought power outages and water supply disruptions across several districts including Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, and Ganderbal.

Mukhtar Ahmad, Meteorological Department Director, stated that 2 Western Disturbances are set to affect from January 1 to 6 and will bring moderate to heavy snowfall. The first disturbance is expected to be light while the second which will be active from January 3 could result in heavier snowfall even in the plains.

The recent snowfall is the 2^nd spell this winter following a dry spell through November and early December. Temperatures in Srinagar dropped to -8.6 °C (16.5 °F) earlier this month which is noted as the coldest night in over 5 decades. Tourist destinations such as Gulmarg recorded nighttime temperatures as low as -10 °C (14 °F).

References:

¹ Tourist dies as snowfall badly hits electricity supply, surface, air traffic in Kashmir – The Hindu – December 28, 2024

² Valley reels under cold wave, another spell of snow likely from Jan 1: MeT – Hindustan Times – December 31, 2024

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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