Srinagar, Jan 30: Unprecedented cold has triggered acute water shortage in many parts of Kashmir Valley due to freezing supply lines.
Minimum temperature touched minus 7.2 degrees Celsius in Srinagar taking a major toll on water supply.
A MeT official told news agency KNT that weather will remain cloudy in coming days and there will be a slight rise in both maximum and minimum temperatures.
Due to freezing temperatures, water supply lines, water bodies have frozen. People are facing acute water shortage. “All taps froze these days and we don’t have water for ablution,” said an elderly person from Jawahar Nagar adding few people venture out of their homes due to the bone-chilling cold outside.
“It was one of the toughest and coldest winters in the past two decades. I am eagerly waiting for this ‘Chilai Kalan to end so that we can have some respite at least from freezing temperatures,” he said.
Reports of water shortage were also received from southern, northern and central Kashmir districts.
Met department official said the minimum temperature was minus 7.2 degree Celsius in Srinagar. In Pahalgam, the temperature was minus 12.5 degree Celsius while it was minus 10 degree Celsius in Gulmarg.
In Qazigund, the temperature was minus 8.8 degree Celsius while it was minus 3.7 degree Celsius in Kupwara.
At minus 27.2 degree Celsius, Drass recorded yet another coldest night temperature.
Even the maximum temperature recorded in Drass on Saturday did not rise above the freezing point as it settled at minus 6.9 degree. Leh recorded minus 14.8 degree and Kargil minus 20.2 degree as the minimum temperature.
Jammu recorded 4.5 degrees Celsius, Katra 5.7 degrees Celsius, Batote 3.6 degree Celsius, Bannihal 1.8 degrees Celsius and Bhaderwah minus 2.3 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature.
