Snowfall, power outage add to Kashmir’s woes

SRINAGAR: Even after eight days of the season’s first snowfall, electric supply has not been restored in most of the rural regions in Kashmir. The fact that road clearance is yet to be achieved by the administration in Srinagar says a lot about the ill-preparedness of the administration. As people braced for bad weather in Kashmir, fresh snowfall on Friday yet again closed the Srinagar-Jammu highway, Mughal road and Srinagar-Ladakh road.

“More than three feet of snow accumulated in the higher reaches and hilly areas of Kashmir only in 12 hours a few days back. It has resulted in uprooting of trees and damaged transmission links. Now with fresh snowfall, efforts to restore electric supply will take more time,” said a senior engineer. Mukhtar Ahmad, an in-charge at the MET department, told the media that snowfall will continue till Saturday.

Meanwhile, the saffron and apple growers are facing huge losses.

Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Director of Horticulture Kashmir, had recently told this reporter that they were undergoing a survey in Kashmir to assess the damage inflicted to apple growers due to uncertain weather conditions and clampdown and the final report would be submitted to the government so that a final decision on how to compensate the growers could be taken at the earliest. However, people connected with the trade said that no such survey had been undertaken by the officials so far.