Jammu-Srinagar highway through for one-way traffic despite rain

Srinagar, Mar 28: Despite rain, the national highway, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic and vehicles will ply from Srinagar to Jammu today. Meanwhile, the Ladakh region remained cut off from the rest of the country though massive snow clearance operation has already been launched on the highway, connecting the region with Kashmir.

The historic Mughal road and several other road communications leading to far-flung and remote areas, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), also remained closed due to accumulation of snowfall since January. There was rain since early this morning at different places on the highway but highway was through, a traffic police official told UNI.

'We have allowed traffic from Kashmir to Jammu today since only one-way traffic will continue on the highway till further orders,' he said. He said no vehicle, including the 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. However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working to repair the damaged portion of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway to allow two-way traffic, he said, adding that fresh landslides due to rain was hampering the repair work. Meanwhile, the BEACON authorities are working on a war-footing on both sides of the Zojila pass to clear snow and 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, which is surrounded by Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, also remained cut off from district headquarters Bandipora due to snow. A number of other far- flung and remote areas also remained cut off from their respective district headquarters.