BATTAGRAM: The temperature plummeted below freezing in the mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday as the heavy rain and snowfall continued for the second consecutive day.

The rainy spell caused severe cold in plains of the province as well.

The Karakoram Highway and link roads were blocked in Battagram and adjoining areas leaving the people bound for Battagram and other northern areas stranded.

The snowfall caused the closure of all link roads and suspension of electric supply in Allai tehsil, while Battagram tehsil also remained without electricity.

The district administration said the communication and works department sent machinery to remove snow from the Chattar Top Road, while snow was cleared from the Thakot-Allai road.

The snow blanketed all hilltops surrounding Battagram and Allai tehsils.

The rain and snowfall began on Friday and lasted until Saturday evening.

The people travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan remained stuck on the KKH in Mansehra’s Chaterplan area from morning to afternoon

Residents also complain about power, gas outages

The closure of roads cut off the valleys and mountainous parts of Hazara division from other parts of the province for the second consecutive day.

The mercury dropped from minus 1 to minus 7 Celsius in the region causing biting cold.

It rained all through the day in upper parts of Hazara, Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas.

A cold wave swept Upper Dir district as well due to snowfall and rain.

Two feet snowfall was reported on Lowari Top, while tourist destinations of Kumrat, Thal, Brawal, Doogcdara, Hatan and Usheri Dara received one and two feet snow.

The authorities closed the Lowari Tunnel Road before using heavy machinery to clear snow from it.

The Met Office recorded 20 millimeters rainfall and the minimum temperature of three degree Celsius in Dir city and two inches snowfall over mountains.

In Abbottabad city, the heaviest snowfall of the current winter season was reported on Saturday causing the temperature to drop below freezing.

Two feet snow fell in Nathiagali, Ayubia, Changla Gali, Donga Gali, Bara Gali and Thandiani areas, while upper areas of Galiyat saw two to three feet snowfall.

Galiyat Development Authority spokesman Ahsan Hameed said all roads in Galiyat had been closed due to snowfall.

“The Abbottabad-Murree Road is closed from Bara Gali to Murree and Ayubia due to snowfall,” he said.

He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority and GDA would begin clearing snow from road shortly after the weather conditions improved.

The spokesman said the police with the help of the local residents were trying to evacuate 100 vehicles stuck near Karla Morr, while some vehicles collided with each other due to slipper road.

The snowfall also caused the closure of the Abbottabad-Thandiani Road.

At least three feet snowfall was reported in Thandiani and light snowfall in Abbottabad city.

The residents complained about gas outages and increase in LPG price.

Marghazar valley in Swat area received snowfall after a gap of three years to the jubilation of the residents, who said the blizzard would help them get better crops.

The valley, which is around 15 kilometers from Mingora city, attracted hundreds of tourists due to snowfall.

The Met Office said the lower and upper parts of Swat received snowfall all through the day and that more snow would fall until the end of March.

Heavy snowfall was also reported in Shangla paralysing life.

The snow up to three feet fell in the area blocking major roads, including Bisham-Swat Road at Shangla Top, Alpuri-Puran Road in Yakhtangay and others in Puran, Martung and Makhozy tehsils, for the second consecutive day.

The mercury plunged below freezing at Shangla Top and in Yakhtangay, Ajmeer, Kandaw and Gamtal areas.

The administration asked public transporters to avoid unnecessary journeys during snowfall and said even if they had to use roads, they should use chains around tyres.

The residents complained about shortage of firewood.

Lower Dir also received rain and snowfall for the second consecutive day.

Snow covered hilltops in Laram Darra, Talash, Maidan, Sheen Ghar, Shahi and Binshahi, while the roads leading to Laram Top in Adenzai and Binshahi in Samarbagh remained closed to traffic.

The administration began snow removal from the roads.

Intermittent rain and snowfall were also reported across Chitral district.

The region saw snowfall of six inches to one and a half feet, while the roads to distant valleys of Baroghil, Upper Yarkhoon and Terich were closed to traffic.

Vehicles remained stranded for hours on the road to Lowari Tunnel, while some skidded off the road. However, no damage to public life was reported.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019