Rain, snowfall expected in Valley today
Rifat Mohidin
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, February 11
As the Valley is expected to witness heavy to moderate snowfall from tomorrow, officials have said the weather was likely to affect road traffic on the national highway.
After prolonged dry weather, this will be the first snowfall of the winter in Kashmir. The main part of the winter is already over, which was mostly dry, creating an alarm of drying water bodies in the region.
In an advisory issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, on Sunday, it said that a fresh western disturbance was affecting Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining areas and it would affect the state from February 11 night onwards.
“Under the influence of this system, moderate to heavy rain/snowfall at widespread places of Jammu and Kashmir is expected,” the advisory read.
The officials said moderate snowfall is also expected in Ladakh and Kargil. The national forecast has also predicted heavy rain and snow from February 12 to 14.
“Fairly widespread to widespread rain and snow is likely to occur over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on February 12 which will decrease subsequently,” the forecast said.
The absence of a major snow spell throughout the winter had triggered an alarm of a drought in the region. But the fresh forecast will be a sigh of relief for the people as most of the people in rural areas are dependent on agriculture.
Even the Public Health Engineering Department, which is tasked at supplying water in the region, had directed its divisions to prepare a drought-action plan for the upcoming months as water was depleting at its sources due to the dry weather.
For the past more than two months, rivers and streams have dried up and are below the normal level.
People heave a sigh of relief
- The absence of a major snow spell throughout the winter had triggered an alarm of a drought in the region
- The fresh forecast will be a sigh of relief for the people as most of the people in rural areas are dependent on agriculture
