Flight services to and from Srinagar International Airport resumed on Sunday after air traffic had taken a hit owing to heavy snowfall. All flights to the Kashmir valley were cancelled on Saturday following severe snowfall on Friday evening. "The flights to Srinagar have resumed and we expect normal operations," an official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.
"The runways were cleared and all safety checks were done before the flight operations were resumed," he added. Kashmir witnessed the first major snowfall of the season on Friday evening and it continued till Saturday.
Besides affecting the flight operations, the snowfall also forced a closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, while train services were also suspended. However, the highway has been cleared now and passenger vehicles are being allowed to ply but motorists have been advised to follow lane discipline.
Jammu-Srinagar highway reopens:
The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar highway was reopened on Sunday for vehicular traffic after a day-long closure due to heavy snowfall, allowing stranded vehicles to proceed to their respective destinations, officials said.
However, several other important inter-district routes, including the Mughal Road, Sinthan Pass, Sonamarg-Kargil inter-UT road, and Bhaderwah-Chamba inter-state road, remained closed for vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall. "The highway has been reopened today following the clearance of snow accumulated on various stretches of the road," a traffic official said. The stranded vehicles along the highway are being cleared, he added.
Advisory to travellers:
Commuters have been advised to follow lane discipline, as overtaking might cause congestion, the J-K Police said. It also advised commuters to drive cautiously, as the road is slippery between Banihal and Qazigund.
The Mughal Road, which serves as an alternative link to the Kashmir Valley from Jammu region's Poonch district, remained shut due to snow accumulation, officials said. Similarly, the Sinthan Pass in Kishtwar has been closed to vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall.
In addition, the Sonamarg-Kargil inter-UT road and the Bhaderwah-Chamba inter-state road are also closed owing to heavy snowfall. Efforts are underway to clear these roads and make them trafficable, officials said.
(With PTI inputs)
