Banihal (J&K), February 25
Though it was a bright sunny day today the havoc caused by heavy snowfall and avalanches looms large over scores of villages on the foothills of the Pir-Panjal ranges.

There is fear among the people as long stretches of fresh snow precariously resting on the mountaintops were visible from here. An elderly person, Abdul Gani, said the snow could come down any moment in the shape of an avalanche to take its toll.

Several villages in the area are buried under the snow and there is no word about the situation there. In fact, the IAF helicopters flew over various areas of the far-flung Marwha and Dechhan bordering Himachal Pradesh for the first time today to airdrop food packets for the villagers whose houses were not visible.

People here are critical of the state government authorities who, they alleged, have so far not moved out to help the marooned even after a week when avalanches played havoc killing a large number of persons and rendering many others homeless. They were all praise for the Army and the IAF who were day and night not only taking care of the hapless people, but also trying to reopen the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway that was buried under snow.

During a flight around the Jawahar Tunnel this morning this correspondent saw that there was no trace of the highway. At places, the highway appeared like a bridal path covered under the snow. The North portal of the tunnel was still blocked with snow and avalanches.

As the things stand today, it might take quite a few days to reopen the road, as the conditions are not favourable for the men and machines to work effectively.

Most of the artery roads are covered under a thick blanket of snow and no one from the civil administration has so far visited these places. Except worrying for the main highway, the authorities seem to have left other places at the mercy of the weather god.

The first sortie of the IAF helicopter, carrying the stranded persons of the inaccessible Nawapachi-Sondar area in Jammu, was operated today. One of them, Ghulam Rasool, said he had come to know from newspaper reports that his maternal uncle and his daughter had died in an avalanche in the village. Nawapachi is just 70 kms away from Kishtwar.

The general complaint of the people of Banihal and Ramsoo was that there was no electricity and water supply for the past 20 days. The villages are dark at night and there was no one from the administration to even provide them with essential commodities.

However, the Army and men of the 35th battalion of the CRPF are engaged in providing succour to the people. There are reports that several houses have been destroyed by avalanches in the Neel valley, 15 kms from here. The fate of residents of the hamlets was not known. A group of 53 sportspersons, including 20 girls stranded at Ramban for the past seven days, were today airlifted by the IAF to Srinagar.