Valley witnesses snowfall, incessant rains

Had intimated administration about bad weather: Met office
Srinagar: The incessant rainfall and snowfall on Monday punctured the claims of authorities of various government departments about the development of Srinagar as the main roads and inner streets including Lal Chowk were inundated with water-giving tough time to the pedestrians and vehicles at large.
The roads around Jahangir Chowk and Hari Singh high street were all filled with water and even the situation made shopkeepers to close their shops.
According to Meteorological Department, the weather conditions will remain same till evening of March 12 and that the same is likely to improve from March 13. The In-charge Director Met office Farooq Ahmad Khan told KNS over phone that the upper reaches of valley will receive moderate snowfall while as plains will witness rainfalls till March 12.
When asked why the administration and general public were not informed about weather predictions before few days, Khan stated that their department already had issued handout to the administration and media- stating that the weather will witness a change from March 9. “The weather earlier was sunny and it is expected that everyone would not have taken that information seriously.” Meanwhile the reports reaching KNS informed that the snowfall has closed the Srinagar-Jammu Highway and that Beacon and state authorities have started the clearance of snow from Banihal and Patnitop.
The reports informed further that besides moderate rain and snowfall across valley, massive snowfall was witnessed in Ladakh region on Monday. Office of the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Monday closed the schools for two days due to the prevailing weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the rains not only affected the electricity supplies but the internet including broadband services were down. (KNS)