Traffic restored on Sgr -Leh highway, Mughal road closed

JAMMU: Traffic on the 434-km-long national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir, was resumed after remaining suspended for several hours due to snowfall, while the historic Mughal road remained closed for traffic due to early morning snow on Wednesday.
However, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was through for traffic despite rain.
A traffic police official said that traffic on the Srinagar-Leh national highway was suspended on Wednesday morning following snowfall at Zojilla pass.
The road had become slippery due to snowfall, he said.
However, as due to improvement in the weather, the snow had melted and road become operational.
Meanwhile, traffic movement on the Mughal road, connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was Wednesday disrupted for several hours due to snowfall.
Hundreds of passenger vehicles were stranded after snowfall rendered the Mughal road unsafe. But, the snow was cleared in a swift operation, a traffic police official said.
Moderate snowfall was gauged at the Sinthan top in Kishtwar district forcing suspension of traffic on the road connecting the district with Anantang in south Kashmir.
Half a foot of snow accumulated on the ground between Peer Ki Gali and Maansar, a 20-km stretch along the Mughal road, leaving a large number of vehicles from both sides Poonch in Jammu and Shopian in Kashmir - stranded, Deputy Superintendent of Police traffic Mohammad Aslam told PTI.
He said the authorities concerned swung into action and cleared the road for vehicular traffic around this afternoon.
"No vehicle will be allowed to move on the road from 6 pm onwards due to prediction of more snowfall," the officer said adding the decision to allow traffic on the road tomorrow will depend on the weather conditions.
The Meteorological department predicted light to moderate rain or snowfall in large swathes of Jammu and Kashmir for the next two days.
Rains in plains and snowfall in the higher reaches ended over two-month-long dry spell in the state.
A police spokesperson said the Sinthan top along the Kishtwar-Anantnag road recorded over one foot of snow since last night.
"The road was closed this afternoon as it was still snowing in the area," he said.