Snowfall in Upper Reaches brings early chill

Untimely snowfall in several upper areas of this frontier district has brought early chill in the North Kashmir forcing people to stock firewood to fight the long and harsh winter ahead.
Several areas including Safawali, Kamkadi, Shalubutta (Manigah) Doben, Jummagund, Budhnumbal besides higher reaches of Chowkibal, Bungus, Sadhna Pass, Z-Gali and Farkyan Pass received snow dipping the mercury below freezing point.
To fight the biting chill, groups of men, women and children are venturing into forests to collect firewood to stock it for cooking and heating purposes during winters as most of the people here face absence of electricity and cooking gas in cold season.
“Early chill, this year, is an indication of a harsh winter ahead. Every year, we used to stock the firewood in the mid-December but this year early snowfall has brought harsh chill making us shiver in cold,” locals said.
“We are busy in collecting abundant firewood to fight winters,” said Muhammad Shaban of Kalaroos.
“In absence of LPG and electricity in villages, firewood is the only option left with us. To sustain the harsh winter ahead, people stock huge quantity of firewood,” said Ghulam Muhammad, a local.