Srinagar, February 27 - Snowfall in the highlands of Jammu and Kashmir and continuous rain in the plains on Thursday ended the long-standing drought. This has significantly improved the flow of water in rivers and springs. Almost all rivers, streams and springs have started flowing normally, alleviating the problems of thousands of people living in the valley. The historic Achabal waterfall, which had dried up in Anantnag district, has now started flowing naturally, bringing joy to the faces of the locals.
It is worth noting that people depend on this waterfall for drinking water and agriculture/horticulture. Snowfall occurred in highlands like Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Zojila Pass, Gurez, Sinthan Top, Pir Ki Gali, Razdan Pass and other hilly areas. Reports say that two to three feet of fresh snow has accumulated on the ground in Gulmarg.
This has revived hopes of the ‘Khelo India 2025 Winter Sports Gulmarg’, which is likely to start any time now. It is worth noting that the national winter games to be held in Gulmarg were postponed due to very low snowfall this winter.
Rain and snowfall in the last 24 hours have eased the hardships of the locals. Srinagar recorded a low of 5.1 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg minus 1.8 degrees and Pahalgam recorded a low of 1 degree Celsius. Jammu city recorded a low of 17.2 degrees Celsius, Katra city 14.8 degrees, Batote 6.5, Banihal 6 and Bhaderwah 5.8 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department (MeT) office has predicted more rain/snowfall here during the next 24 hours.