BANDIPORA 31 December :- A powerful winter storm has blanketed the Gurez sector of North Kashmir, leading to the immediate closure of the strategic 85-kilometer-long Bandipora-Gurez road.
Authorities suspended all vehicular movement on Wednesday after heavy snow accumulation at the high-altitude Razdhan Pass created treacherous driving conditions and severely limited visibility.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Gurez, Mukhtar Ahmad, confirmed that the vital mountain pass received over a foot of fresh snow, making the route unsafe for commuters. This closure marks the beginning of the seasonal isolation for the remote valley, which typically remains cut off from the district headquarters for several months each winter due to the extreme weather at Razdhan.
The snowfall has been particularly intense in the Tulail Valley, where lower areas recorded a staggering 14 to 15 inches of fresh accumulation. Other parts of the region also saw significant whiteouts, with Tulail recording six inches and Dawar town receiving nearly four inches of snow. While local residents described the transformation of the landscape as scenic, the practical impact has been significant, with authorities monitoring the situation closely to ensure public safety.
Officials have advised the public to strictly avoid travel on the Gurez-Bandipora axis until weather conditions stabilize and specialized machinery completes the snow clearance operations.
