Shopian: Continuous snowfall since Friday noon in Shopian district has disrupted road, power, and drinking water services, a situation which is likely to remain the same as the weatherman has forecast moderate to heavy snowfall in the district till Saturday evening.
After light to moderate snowfall on January 5, the intensity of snowfall in this mountainous district has increased since Friday, hampering the movement of vehicles on almost all roads in the district due to slippery conditions. By the afternoon, snow had started accumulate on roads, forcing many people to leave their vehicles on roadside to avoid accidents as the vehicles were slipping in lower areas and were rendered immovable in upper areas of the district.
Till 7:20 pm, about six inches of snow had accumulated in the lower and more than a foot in upper areas like Hirpora and Sedow.
Electricity supply was also affected in the district as tree branches near the power lines bent upon them, causing faults in most of the lines, after which services were cut from the receiving stations.
After the accumulation of snow in water canals, the Rambiara rivulet and water reservoirs, the flow of water got reduced due to which water supply was affected in many areas of the district.
The Mechanical Engineering department is yet to start snow clearance operations on the district roads but machines have been pressed into service on major routes like the Shopian-Pulwama road.
An official said that continuous operations of snow clearance will be run once there is improvement in weather. “Clearance operations are being carried out on major roads and others will be done as per priorities,” he said.
Faizan Arif, an independent weatherman from Srinagar, said that Shopian will witness a good amount of snow like it did last year. “It will snow continuously till Saturday evening. However, its intensity will reduce by midnight (of Friday) but it may increase again by Saturday morning,” he said.
Arif said that Shopian may receive two feet of snow during this current disturbance. He, however, said that it is beyond human ability to forecast the actual amount of snow.

Raashid Hassan