Razdan pass, Phirkiyan still closed, Sadhna and Z-Gali open in Kashmir

Srinagar, Mar 12 : Dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), remained cut off from their district and tehsil headquarters due to closure of Razdan pass and Phirkiyan top in north Kashmir, where Sadhna and Z-Gali are open for traffic.

The Razdan pass, connecting Bandipora with border town of Gurez, Neeru and other far-flung and remote villages, mostly near LoC surrounded by Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.

Though the snow clearance operation has been started but there is a huge snow at Razdan pass, a Police Control Room (PCR) official told UNI over phone from Bandipora. There is also a threat of avalanche in the area, he said. The residents of Gurez and other border areas are demanding construction of a tunnel at Razdan pass to make it all weather road, which remains closed for six winter months.

The Z-Gali has reopened after improvement in the weather condition and clearance of snow, a PCR official told TNN over phone from Kupwara on Monday. He said traffic has been allowed on the road, which was closed last month due to fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions. However, the Sadhna pass was reopened last week after clearance of snow.

Eleven people, including an officer of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), were killed after they were swept away by a snow avalanche in the first week of January.

He said Phirkiyan pass was still closed though snow clearance operation was going on. Last week, a BRO driver was killed in a snow avalanche at Phirkiyan. Traffic on the road, connecting dozens of far-flung and remote villages, will be allowed once a green signal is received from concern authorities, he added.