Heavy snowfall cuts off northern parts of India

Late season snow has cut off parts of northern India around the foothills of the Himalayas.

The winter storms have lingered across the states of Himachal Pradesh along with Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir for much of this week.

Jammu And Kashmir State was badly hit on Friday after heavy snow blocked the arterial Mughal Road, disrupting traffic movement and leaving commuters stranded.

Mughal Road is the shortest route from Rajouri and Poonch districts to the Kashmir valley. It is also an important route for the trade and commerce activities in the state.

The road’s closure meant that the journey between Srinagar and Poonch went from 126km to 588km. That’s an additional distance of 462km.

The region has been receiving unseasonably late snow since early this week. The snowfall has also led to a drastic fall in temperatures in the northernmost state.

Meanwhile, the snowfall in Shimla city of northern Himachal Pradesh state was rather more welcome. It came as a late boost to the tourism industry for those visiting from the warmer plains of India.

The state meteorological department has forecast more rain and snow in the coming days. However, amounts should not be as heavy or widespread.

Additional reporting by Everton Fox