Schools in Kashmir to remain open till weather permits: Provisional Commissioner

Provincial Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole made it clear that the schools will remain open till extreme cold and weather permits. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) of the state meanwhile confirmed no major snowfall predictions until November 20.

Srinagar (J&K):Provincial Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole on Monday said that the schools will remain open as usual until heavy snowfall hits the Kashmir Valley. Pole was speaking at an inauguration ceremony of Indus Bank here. "Schools in the Kashmir Valley will continue to operate as usual until the Valley sees a heavy snowfall," he said while addressing the media.

Earlier, the Director of School Education also made it clear that the schools will remain open till extreme cold and weather permits. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) of the state meanwhile confirmed no major snowfall predictions until November 20. The weather is overcast in most parts of J&K currently, with snowfall over higher reaches and rain in the plains of J&K as reported by the IMD. The same weather was predicted to prevail for the most part of the day on Monday. Meanwhile, in the forecast, the IMD predicted that the weather will remain partly cloudy from November 15 to 18, while on November 18 and 19, there could be light rain or snowfall in the Valley.

The snowfall in some remote areas in the state has led to communication cut off with the district headquarters. About one foot of snow accumulated in Majhal, Kiran and Karna of the border district Kupwara leading to network issues here. Wadi Griz of Bandipora district witnessed a similar situation, while 14 inches of fresh snow has also accumulated in the popular tourist destination Gulmarg.

Srinagar has recorded 5.9 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, while Qazigund has recorded 2.8 mm, Pahalgam 12.2 mm, Kupwara 14.4 mm, and Gulmarg 16.8 mm. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was blocked for traffic on Monday morning due to a rock slide. Meanwhile, Mughal Road and Srinagar-Leh National Highway have been closed to traffic due to snowfall.

Palai areas of the Doda district have also received fresh snowfall while plain areas have received rain. Snowfall has started in the upper areas of Desa, Dadni Top, Kalihand, Santhan Top and Bhadarwah in the two low-lying areas of the district since this morning. There, the administration issued orders to keep schools up to eighth grade closed until further notice in Kishtwar and Doda districts. Schools from ninth to other grades will remain open as usual.