The higher reaches of the Valley including the world famous ski-resort, Gulmarg Wednesday received fresh snowfall while as the rains lashed plains since this morning, brining the temperature further down in Kashmir.

Earlier, a local Meteorological department had predicted rain or snowfall in between Nov 13 and 14 across Kashmir.

The higher reaches of the Valley including the world famous ski-resort, Gulmarg received a fresh snowfall in the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday, bringing cheers among the tourists.
However, the rains lashed plains since the wee hours of this morning, thus bringing the temperature further down here.

Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Director MeT Sonum Lotus said that the weather conditions across the Valley would improve from Thursday afternoon.

He added that besides higher reaches, there is possibility of light snowfall in plains as well but the chances are very less. “The weather conditions across the Valley would improve from Thursday afternoon but the weather in the day (Thursday) would remain mostly cloudy and there will be occasional sunshine as well,” he informed.

He added that there is no forecast of any significant weather till November 21.
Lotus told KNS that though there would be gradual rise in day temperature from tomorrow (Thursday) but the night temperature would go further down by one or two degree Celsius.
Earlier on Tuesday, authorities had issued a low-danger avalanche warning for seven districts after fresh snowfall in the higher areas.

An official spokesman had said a low-danger avalanche warning was issued for 24 hours in avalanche-prone areas of Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Kupwara and Ganderbal districts in view of fresh snowfall.
People of these areas have been asked not to go in the avalanche-prone areas, the official said.

The snow as well as the rainfall has also resulted in closure of many roads, including the Srinagar-Leh highway and the Mughal road, which connects the valley to Poonch-Rajouri region in Jammu division of the state.

Peoples Democratic. Party (PDP) senior leader Mansoor Hussain Sohrawardhy on Wednesday questioned the Governor administration over its non- serious approach in mitigating the fruit growers who have incurred massive losses due to the recent snowfall in Kashmir.

In a statement issued to KNS, Mansoor said that the tall claims of the state administration have fallen flat as there are thousands of areas wherein snowfall wrecked havoc and damaged orchards but to everyone’s surprise not even a single government official has paid any visit there.

The PDP leader accused the Governor administration of doing mere photo shoots in selected pockets of Kashmir while as the areas wherein losses are huge and unthinkable have been left in lurch. “Leave aside the Advisors to the Governor, even not a single official from the department of Horticulture has visited South Kashmir’s Shangus area where the fruit growers have incurred massive losses to their crops,” Mansoor said.

He added that right from Gopalpora to Deethu Brah, the orchards are spread over to the 22 Km long stretch and the recent unseasonal snowfall has damaged the orchards at a large scale there. However, according to Mansoor, no official has visited the affected populace and made assessment of the losses incurred by the fruit growers there. “How could the government compensate the orchardists when it doesn’t know the actual amount of losses on ground and when it hasn’t reached to the areas wherein the damages are high. It is ironical to find that the Governor administration is busy in photo shoots and beating the trumpet of loss mitigation. The situation on ground is belying all such claims,” Mansoor said.

He appealed the administration to reach out to the areas which have been worst affected and make the actual assessment of losses on ground. “Otherwise, it would be a mockery in the name of compensation as a fruit grower who has suffered the loss of 20 lakh is given a mere 10 thousand rupees as a relief. This will not be allowed to happen and it is high time for the state dispensation to understand the gravity of the crises and address it on merit and priority,” said the PDP leader.

An absconder, wanted in a rape case, was arrested on Tuesday after 25 years in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Official sources told GNS that the accused, Kushaal Hussain, son of Mohammad Hussain, was arrested by a police team from his home at Bonala, Mendhar in Poonch.

Kushaal was wanted in connection with an FIR number 107/1993 under section 376, 342, 456, 34 RPC dated 30/10/1993 in police station Mendhar.

As the accused was absconding, the sessions court Poonch issued a warrant under 512 against him.

SSP Poonch Rajiv Panday confirmed the arrest of Kushaal Hussain.

Traders Manufacturers Association of Shopian has called for Shopian Bandh on November 20 against the “failure” of authorities to provide basic amenities during the harsh winter.

The traders’ body took the decision after holding a meeting at Shopian headquarters.

They said the people have been deprived of the basic amenities like electricity, water and other important things in the harsh winter.

Ghulam Nabi Turay, president of Traders Manufacturers Association of Shopian said, “We have given a Bandh call for November 20 against the injustice to hilly district of Shopian.”

He said since the past three years, the area has been neglected in every field.

“We have time and again apprised the higher authorities and local MLA Mohammad Yousuf Bhat of the problems but nobody cares about our sufferings,” Turay said.

“Three years back, when we conveyed to our MLA about the problems and sufferings, he assured of resolving the issues but nothing has been done on the ground since then,” he added.

The traders said they need electricity “not for decorating our homes or business but for our children who suffer a lot”.

If the government doesn’t redress our problems at the earliest, we will come on roads, the traders warned.

They said Shopian got the district status in 2007 but on developmental front, it has received “nothing”.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Tuesday issued notice to Chief Engineer Power Development Department (PDD) regarding unscheduled and irregular power cuts.

SHRC chairperson, Justice Bilal Nazki today admitted a complaint regarding unscheduled and irregular power cuts during winter in Kashmir valley and issued notice to Chief Engineer PDD Kashmir, Hashmat Qazi for filing his report within a week on a complaint.

Qazi has also been directed to specify as to why power cuts are effected even without notice.

Earlier, the commission had received a complaint, which reads that as the chilly winter season has begun to start with the recent snowfall, the only power supply agency ion J&K i.e, Power Development Department has started unscheduled and irregular power cuts in metered and non-metered areas in whole of the Kashmir Valley as the result of which people at large, particularly students are facing immense hardships in cold days and nights.

As per a communication of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, there is a danger of avalanches from 12thNovember 2018 to 13th November 2018 in avalanche prone areas of Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Leh and Kargil districts of Kashmir Division.

The Deputy Commissioners of the concerned districts have been asked to advise people not to venture out in avalanche prone areas during the period.

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