Heavy snowfall: flight operations suspended at Srinagar airport

Guwahati: Snowfall and extreme cold condition in Srinagar have caused major disturbances in the Srinagar airport as flight operations in the airport suspended due to the snowfall. An extreme level of snowfall has interrupted the airline services with poor visibility.

An official at the Srinagar International Airport said, “All flights to and from Srinagar were cancelled on Wednesday. No flight could land or take off from the airport today morning.”

He further added that “Flight operations will start only after visibility improves.” This has also been added by the official that the snow clearance on the runway process too has not been implemented as the continuing snowfall is not letting the stuff get into work.

Another Airport Authority of India official said that of the 31 flights scheduled to arrive at the Srinagar airport, so far, 18 have been cancelled due to poor visibility and heavy snowfall and this will continue further if the heavy snowfall prevails. Notably, Wednesday was the most affected day as no flight could operate to and from the Srinagar Airport.

Apart from the Srinagar airport, the Jammu-Srinagar highway too remained closed for the second consecutive day as on Thursday too the state has witnessed fresh snowfall and landslides.

A department official said, “No stranded vehicle is parked at an avalanche or landslide prone area along the highway.”

The highway authority is looking for alternative ways to let the commuters pass through the Jammu-Srinagar highway and as a solution to the issue they have opted to allow one-way traffic. The one-way traffic was allowed from Srinagar to Jammu on Wednesday, but later, it had to halt due to the landslides in Ramsoo-Ramban sector and snowfall in Bannihal.

The heavy and continuous snowfall has not only hampered the commuters but has created a crisis in the daily life of its locals as well. As the transportation of goods from outside the state has been hampered, the prices of essential commodities like vegetables, mutton and poultry products have gone sky high. If this situation prevails for one or two days, then normal life in the valley is certainly to get disturbed creating a food crisis.

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