Srinagar-Jammu national highway closed yet again due to landslides

Srinagar, Feb 28: The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was closed yet again due to fresh landslides. The highway has been closed due to landslides, a traffic police official told UNI today, when traffic was to ply from Jammu to Srinagar as only one-way traffic is allowed since last month. He said there were fresh landslides and shooting stones last night at several places, particularly at Mahar Nallah in Rambam. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has already put into service sophisticated machines to put through the traffic. However, it may take a full day to clear the massive landslide at Mahar Nallah, he said. No vehicle will be allowed from Srinagar or Jammu till a green signal is received from BRO and traffic police personnel posted at several places on the highway. Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles, including trucks carrying essentials, which were to leave for Kashmir valley this morning, have been stopped at different places in Jammu. However, vehicles which had left Srinagar yesterday have reached Jammu safely till last night. Traffic on the Kashmir highway has been disrupted frequently due to snowfall and landslides besides slippery road conditions since first heavy snowfall on January 6. Meanwhile, the 85-km-long historic Mughal Road, linking Shopian in South Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch remained closed since last month due to heavy snowfall. The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, also remained closed since last month and is likely to reopen in the summer. The Bandipora to border town of Gurez road remained closed due to accumulation of snow on the road.