Click to play videoSrinagar: It was just a week ago that the Valley was jubilant over the season's first snowfall. But with temperatures dipping to as low as minus 20 Degree Celsius, scores of people in Kashmir have been left stranded in Zojilla, Gumri and Drass sectors.
Major portion of the 220-kilometer Srinagar-Kargil National Highway, too, remains snow blocked and authorities are finding it difficult to rescue people from the high-altitude areas.
“People trapped in Kargil will be sent to Leh by buses and from there they will be sent to their places in airplanes,” J-K Forest Minister Main Altaf said.
Hundreds of Kashmiris are stranded in the landlocked regions of Tangdhar, Gurez and Kargil with adverse climate and foggy conditions barring many to fly in or fly out from those regions.
Meanwhile, shortage of food, water and money is making it more difficult for people to sustain themselves.
“I have been stuck here from the last 15 days. We are facing problems of food and water,” Mohammad Ali in Kargil said.
While Haji Abdul Hamid in Drass said, “We spoke to Minister of Ladakh Affairs to get us home but so far no arrangements have been made.”
Meanwhile, Jammu, too, is experiencing severe winters with persistent rains reducing the average temperatures in the area. In fact, higher reaches of Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch have even received slight snowfall.
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