Avalanche warning in state; alert along Jammu-Srinagar highway

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 31

Following the weather forecast of a western disturbance that would affect Jammu and Kashmir from Saturday night, an avalanche warning has been issued for the avalanche-prone areas above 2,500-m altitude.

The traffic police have also issued an advisory for the Kashmir highway advising people not to start their journey on the highway from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa without confirming the road and weather status from traffic control rooms at Ramban.

The Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Kumar Raju Ranjan, who is also Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kupwara, has issued the warning as the weather is likely to deteriorate from February 1 to 3 in avalanche-prone areas like Tangdhar, Machil and Keran, which are above 2,500-m altitude.

The DDMA has advised people not to venture in avalanche-prone areas during the period and asked them to keep cleaning the snow deposition on rooftops of the houses to avoid any untoward incident during the snowfall.

People have also been advised not to occupy the locations which are under the line of avalanche and vacate them temporarily.

In view of the possibility of snowfall from February 1 to 3, the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, has directed all the officers concerned to be in readiness and to activate their manpower and machinery and ensure that there is no disruption of essential services, power supply, water supply, healthcare services, etc, in the district. Moreover, the officers concerned have also been asked to establish control rooms and notify the phone numbers to the general public.

Moreover, the general public have also been advised not to venture in avalanche-prone areas during the period and also keep clearing the snow deposition from the rooftops of their houses to avoid damages.

The District Development Commissioner has also directed all officers concerned to keep all the requisite precautionary measures in place in order to avert any untoward incident.

As per the forecast of the Meteorological Department, the weather would deteriorate from February 1 to 3.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, has also advised the people of the district not to venture in avalanche-prone areas during the snowfall.

Advisory by traffic police

• As per an advisory issued by the traffic police, people, in general, and passengers/drivers, in particular, are advised not to start their journey on the national highway from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa without confirming the road/weather status from traffic control rooms at Ramban (9419993745, 9596798726), Jammu (2459048, 9419147732) and Srinagar (0194-24500022, 2485396)
• The advisory has been issued on the basis of weather reports, which predict moderate to heavy snowfall, especially in the Banihal to Jawahar Tunnel sector and Jawahar Tunnel to Qazigund sector, from February 1 to 3
• Heavy to moderate rainfall in the Ramban area may also trigger landslides on the Kashmir highway between the Ramban and Ramsoo sector