Srinagar-Jammu national highway closed for fourth day due to heavy rainfall and snow

Heavy rain and snowfall has cut off Kashmir from the rest of the country and the Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the fourth consecutive day. It was difficult to restore the nearly 300-Km highway which is the only all-weather surface link between Kashmir and rest of the country because of continuous rain and snowfall.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 11 March 2017.

Over two feet of snow had accumulated on the ground at Jawahar Tunnel, one feet at Zig and four inches in Qazigund town but, the real problem is the continuous landslides and falling stones triggered by incessant rains in Ramban sector. Huge boulders and sliding stones have totally blocked the highway at various places between Banihal and Ramban axis.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg, which experienced over two feet of fresh snow during this week, continued to be the coldest recorded place in the state. Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir is the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra and, it also witnessed a fall of two degrees in the night temperature.


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Snowfall in Kashmir Valley disrupts life - air, road traffic affected

Life in Kashmir Valley continues to be disrupted because of heavy snowfall that has blocked the Srinagar-Jammu highway for the third consecutive day. The rail service between the valley and Bannihal town in the Jammu region is expected to be resumed after track clearance.
In addition, air and road traffic continued to remain shut - there were no flights to and from the Srinagar International Airport in the morning for the second consecutive day.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 8 January 2017.

Authorities at Srinagar airport have indicated that if the visibility improved on Sunday morning, flight operations could resume in the afternoon. Simultaneously, snow clearance operations in Bannihal and Patnitop sectors of the highway have also started and travelers need to contact control rooms in Jammu and Srinagar to know the latest status of the roads.
The inter-district road connectivity has been restored in the valley after snow clearance operations and snow has also been cleared from all the main traffic arteries in Srinagar city. However, lanes and by-lanes in the old city were still impassable due to accumulated snow.


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Snowfall in Kumaon hills is attracting foreign tourists, but not like previous years

Recent snowfall coupled with the nippy climate in the Kumaon hills is attracting tourists to places like Munsiyari, Kausani, Chaukori and Ranikhet. These had been reeling under the impact of demonetisation but, hotels are now fully booked for the New Year.
Places like Munsiyari and Thal had received snowfall on December 25. Subsequently, tourist numbers had picked up and over 7,000 tourists have visited Munsiyari in the last few days.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 December 2016.

Hoteliers feel that if the trend continues, they would be able to recover some of the profit from their business which had been hit due to demonetisation. Of course, cash availability still remains grim because most ATMs are out of cash. Tourists who are arriving are carrying cash with them since it is not possible to depend on ATM withdrawals or net banking.
Other places like Chaukori, Kausani and Ranikhet have also seen a steady influx of visitors who want to usher in the New Year in sylvan surroundings. Unfortunately, there is no rush of tourists this year unlike other years and, those who are visiting are unable to purchase local goods due to paucity of cash - that, in turn, is affecting the local economy of the area.


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No snowfall in Sikkim - tourists opting out of visiting Chhangu Lake and Nathu-la

The upper reaches of Sikkim have yet to receive any snowfall and the delay has happened for the first time. It is making tourists change their plans of visiting tourist spots like Chhangu Lake and Nathu-la to experience the phenomenon.
Tour operators are also worried because the delay was affecting business since most visitors were either postponing their trips or going to other states.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 21 December 2016.

Usually Nathu-la at 14,400 feet and Chhangu Lake at 13,500 feet experience snowfall by November-end or the first week of December and Yumthang Valley and Gurudongmar Lake in the North receive snow by the last week of November till the end of March. This time, however, the places are still waiting for the mercury to plummet.
As a tour operator has said - snow brings business because thousands of tourists arrive to enjoy snowfall during this season. But this year, many bookings are getting cancelled. Tourists who visit Sikkim between November and February do so mostly to experience snow.
Sikkim's peak tourist season is during March-April and September-October. Last year, around 12 lakh people had visited the Himalayan state and 50,000-odd who came between December and January.


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The Japan Meteorological Agency has revealed that it was the first time snow had fallen in November in central Tokyo since 1962.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 24 November 2016.

There was snow in suburban areas at the foot of Mount Takao and central Tokyo saw snow in a covering of around an inch (2cm). It was the first time snow had actually laid on the ground ever since records began in 1875. However, greater Tokyo, which spreads over a wide area and includes many suburbs, enjoys relatively mild winters compared to some other parts of the country. Snowfall is more frequent in the northern island of Hokkaido.
Due to the snowfall, train and subway services were temporarily suspended or delayed especially in western Tokyo. This affected thousands of commuters during the morning rush hour because Japanese train services run on a regimented and highly punctual basis. Obviously, commuters were baffled when their regular services were delayed.


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