Kargil: Fresh snow and rainfall continued for second consecutive day in Kargil district of Ladakh, forcing authorities to close the Srinagar-Ladakh highway for three more days, even as improvement in weather is expected from Thursday onwards.
A number of areas in Kargil district had received snowfall on Tuesday, while rains lashed other areas, which continued on Wednesday as well, officials informed.
Rangdum received heavy snowfall on Tuesday-Wednesday night, with the area receiving snow as deep as 6 inches till Wednesday morning, weather officials said.
Snow clearance work was in progress at Rangdum towards Pensi-la, till the last report came in.
The authorities said that Minamarag received 4 inches of snow and Panikhar around 2 inches till Wednesday morning.
There were reports of fresh snowfall from Drass and Zanskar, while Sankoo and Kargil continued to witness heavy rainfall for second consecutive day, while there was light rainfall in Darchik and Wakha.
The weather remained cloudy in Chiktan and Khangral and many other areas.
The Meteorological Centre said that there will be a significant decrease in snowfall in Kargil district from Wednesday night.
The Srinagar-Leh national highway remained closed on Wednesday, even as the authorities declared next three days as traffic dry days.
“In view of pending widening work on the Zojila axis owing to continuous fresh snow fall and avalanches, 20th, 21st and 22nd April would be Traffic dry days on Zojila axis for all types of vehicles including LMVs and HMVs,” said an official advisory.
Moreover, to avoid any type of unpleasant incident, movements of HMVs is stopped till further orders, it added.
On Kargil Zanskar Road, no Vehicular movement would be allowed over Penzila axis from both side of Zanskar and Panikhar (Kargil) on Thursday till improvement of weather conditions and snow clearance from the road, while no vehicle movements would be allowed over Shingkula axis from either side of Darcha (HP) & Zanskar (Kargil) on Thursday, it said.
