Heavy snow blocks roads in northern India, calls for immediate snow clearance operations
by Nishika BansalNorthern India has been struggling with heavy snowfall over the past month, resulting in road blockages and causing significant inconvenience to residents, prompting swift snow clearance operations to restore normalcy.
The operations took place on the Chowkibal-Tangdar road in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, northern India, on January 2.
Visuals show authorities using excavators to clear a path through the thick snow, ensuring safe vehicular movement.
According to reports, the district administration of Jammu and Kashmir is overseeing the snow clearance efforts and working at full capacity to reopen the roads for traffic.
Residents from remote border areas of Kashmir, including Gurez, Tulail, Tangdhar, and Karnah, urged the J&K government on Thursday to initiate helicopter services as road access remains paralyzed due to the heavy snowfall. These areas are blanketed in thick snow, rendering vital roadways inaccessible for weeks, or even months. The accumulation of snow on key routes, such as the Bandipora-Gurez Road, Kupwara-Tangdhar Road, and Karnah-Chowkibal route, has disrupted daily life and cut off residents from essential services.
Locals, including patients in need of urgent medical care, have expressed frustration as they bear the brunt of these ongoing disruptions.