Touseef Ahmad
Bandipora, Jan 30: After a fresh spell of snowfall in hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the cricket enthusiasts in Gurez valley of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district organised snow cricket matches amid sub-zero temperature on Tuesday.
Cricket enthusiasts from different villages of different Neeru, PTL and other adjacent villages on Tuesday played the season's first snow cricket match on a frozen track in Tulail after receiving fresh snowfall
Mohd Ashraf, a local, said that they were eagerly waiting for the season's first snowfall in the plains of Gurez.
"The vibe of snow cricket is like playing in a national stadium with professional cricketers,".
Another local cricket Shabir Ahmad said that the snow cricket in Gurez valley not only brings joy and happiness to local cricketers but also attracts the cricket enthusiasts and tourists from the valley and other parts.
He also said that Gurez valley has received 7-8 inches of snowfall till yesterday. "We hope more snowfall will be in the coming days as the winter wonderland was without snow till January this year was unusual,".
"I had never seen Gurez valley without snow till january, earlier we remain cut with the rest of the world for six months but this year the tradition changed till yesterday the one way traffic was allowed on Gurez-Bandipora road," another local resident Mohd Amin said.
Notably, Deputy commissioner Bandipora in an order issued yesterday said that the Gurez-Bandipora road will be closed for traffic movement due to heavy snowfall on Razdan pass connecting Gurez with Bandipora.
The meteorological department in a weather advisory issued on Monday predicted more snowfall in hilly as well plain areas of Kashmir valley. A low-level avalanche warning was also issued in Bandipora district above 2400 meters in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile an official from Beacon said that the snow clearance operation is going on both sides of the road.
