Jammu to celebrate Mahotsav to woo tourism

Srinagar, Mar 25: Traffic on the national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was disrupted for several hours after a tanker turned turtle in Ramsu area this morning. However, traffic has been resumed and vehicles will ply from Jammu to Srinagar today since only one-way traffic will continue on the highway. Meanwhile, national highway, linking Ladakh region with Kashmir, historic Mughal road and several other road communications leading to far-flung and remote areas, which remained cut off due to snowfall since January, are likely to reopen next month.

Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers and trucks loaded with essentials, particularly fresh vegetables, left Jammu for Kashmir this morning, a traffic police official told UNI. He said no vehicle, including Army and other paramilitary forces, will be allowed from opposite direction to avoid any traffic jam as the highway is still under repair at some places where only one vehicle can pass.

Traffic on the highway was disrupted after an oil tanker turned turtle in Ramsu area. However, authorities immediately swung into action and clear the tanker and allowed traffic later, he said. Official said that only one-way traffic will continue on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national till further orders. However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway has been working round the clock to make it safe for two-way traffic.

Meanwhile, the BEACON authorities are working on a war-footing to clear snow, particularly at Zojila pass, to put through the highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir. Similarly, snow clearance is also going on to reopen the historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, which remained closed for the past three months due to snow. There is ten feet to 12 feet of snow at some places on the road, which is seen as alternative to Jammu-Srinagar highway. Officials said the road is likely to reopen by April 15 provided there is no fresh snow.

Dozens of village, including near the LoC in Machil sector, remained cut off from district headquarters due to accumulation of several feet of snow. The border town of Gurez, surrounded by Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), also remained cut off from district headquarters Bandipora due to snow. The road is likely to reopen in summer. A number of other far-flung and remote areas also remained cut off from their respective district headquarters.