Cold wave grips Kashmir Valley; Srinagar records sub-zero temperatures as residents brave harsh winter

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 5 (ANI): A severe cold wave continued to sweep across the Kashmir Valley on Friday as temperatures dipped to sub-zero levels, forcing residents to layer up in heavy winter clothing to stay warm.
People in Srinagar were seen wearing warm garments and continuing their morning fitness routines despite the biting chill. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature recorded in the city today is 0.4°C, while the maximum is likely to be 12.6°C.
Visuals from the region showed fog-covered streets as locals carried on with their daily activities amid the freezing conditions. With December setting in, temperatures are expected to drop further in the coming days, deepening the winter chill across the Valley.
Meanwhile, in a major developmental step, road connectivity has been established for the first time since independence in several remote villages of the Kalakote sub-division in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The newly constructed stretch connects Patta to Ghodar village, as well as previously inaccessible Arras villages, linking them to the Tehsil headquarters, district headquarters, and the Rajouri-Kalakote highway. The roads were built under the NABARD scheme.
Local residents expressed gratitude to the Modi government for bringing motorable connectivity to the hilly, remote areas of the Pir Panjal Mountain Range after 70 years.
Jagdev Singh, a resident, said the new road has transformed daily life in the region, especially for children. He highlighted that the connectivity will now allow students to attend school regularly and pursue their education without difficulty.
"I thank the government, as the road got constructed after 70 years for the first time. It was an underdeveloped area...the children of this area were illiterate and did not go to school, they used to be far...now they go to school.... I thank the government....." Singh told ANI.
Expressing gratitude to the government, Manohar Lal, another resident of the area, said that earlier, people faced difficulties due to the lack of proper roads. He added that under PM Modi's government, the area has now received roads and electricity, bringing significant relief to the residents."Government has done good....earlier, we used to face difficulties... we have got benefits under the PM Modi government...there are roads in every home...there is electricity...earlier there was nothing....children used to walk to school...there was no connectivity....I thank PM Modi... good work is going on... when our elders used to get sick, we used horses... even government officials could not travel to this village...Children and teachers faced problems in reaching this village....there was difficulty in taking the elders to hospitals...PM Modi has done a lot of work...." Lal told ANI. (ANI)