Heavy snowfall in the Valley has led to a steep rise in airfares .(Representational)
Heavy snowfall in the Valley has led to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, leaving needy people to book air tickets at prices as high as Rs 25,000.
Irshad Ahmad, a salesman in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar Market, is one such traveller who had to book a ticket from Delhi to Srinagar at Rs 21,000. Mr Ahmed earns Rs 8,000 but did not have any other option as he had to attend his mother's funeral in Srinagar.
"Now I have to work for three months to repay the debt for the ticket. I have taken a loan to buy ticket. I cannot afford it but because of mother I had to do whatever it takes to reach here," he said.
Heavy snowfall in the Valley has meant that the airfare to and from Srinagar has increased manifold. A ticket for a Delhi-Srinagar flight that usually cost between Rs 4,000-5,000 is being offered at Rs 25,000.
The unprecedented air fares have also hit the tourism industry in Kashmir. "I had a group of tourists from Malaysia. First day their flight was cancelled. Next day they were told to pay a fare of Rs 25,000 each for a flight from Delhi to Srinagar. A ticket from Delhi to Dubai is much cheaper at Rs 8,000," said Bashir Ahmad, a houseboat owner at Srinagar's famed Dal Lake.
Hundreds of shikara wallas, who were hoping a spike in tourists' arrivals after recent heavy snowfall have been left disappointed. "At the same fair tourists can go for a foreign tour instead of coming here. It's directly impacting our livelihood," said Assadullah, a shikara walla.
During last one month Srinagar-Jammu national highway - the only road link that connects Kashmir with the rest of country - remained closed for nearly two weeks due to snowfall and landslides.
The skyrocketing airfare has not only hit common man like Irshad, but also the tourists. Empty Shikaras in Dal lake are reflecting the ground reality on how airfare to and fro Srinagar has become unaffordable for tourists as well.