Traffic again disrupted on Kashmir highway due to fresh landslides
Srinagar, Feb 23: Traffic on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was again disrupted due to fresh landslides. ''We have suspended traffic on the highway as there were fresh landslides at Digdol and other areas last evening,'' a traffic police official told UNI. He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, have already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides and put through the road. The highway was closed on February 20 due to landslides triggered by rain at several places, including Digdol, Penthal, Batery Cheshma and Ramsu during the intervening night. However, there was fresh snowfall on the highway at Jawahar tunnel, Shaitan Nallah and Banihal next morning forcing authorities to suspend the traffic for the second day. Yesterday, vehicles were allowed from Jammu to Srinagar. However, about 400 Kashmir-bound, including those carrying passengers and trucks laden with essentials, are stranded on the highway. He said as and when the highway will be put through only stranded vehicles would be allowed to move towards Kashmir valley. Though today the traffic was to ply from Srinagar to Jammu only, but no vehicle will be allowed from here until all the stranded vehicles are cleared. Traffic on the highway had been frequently disrupted on the highway since January 6 when there was first heavy snowfall in the region after about six month dry spell. Though the BRO had been making all efforts to keep the highway open, but heavy snowfall coupled with landslides, forced authorities to close the highway frequently during the past two month. The traffic department has later decided to allow only one-way traffic on the highway for free movement of vehicles. However, frequent closure of the highway and allowing only one-way traffic has resulted in increase in the prices of essentials, particularly fresh vegetables as there is hardly any local vegetable available in the valley during winter. Meanwhile, historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained closed. The road is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway.