Highway remains open, over 6000 vehicles including trucks carrying essentials reach Valley
Srinagar, Feb 13: In a major relief to the stranded passengers and the people of Kashmir, facing a shortage of essential commodities, the Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley with rest of the world, remained open for one-way traffic on Wednesday.
The thoroughfare remained open despite light snow and rain overnight and more than 6,000 vehicles including trucks carrying essentials like fuel, ration and vegetables, crossed Jawahar Tunnel after Tuesday afternoon when the highway opened after seven days of complete closure, officials told GNS.
Jawahar Tunnel experienced a brief spell of snow on Tuesday night, while light rain also lashed Banihal-Ramban stretch.
They said traffic plied smoothly throughout the day and no vehicle was allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu.
The closure of the Highway led to depletion of fuel stocks in Kashmir, forcing the authorities to direct fuel pumps to provide only three liters petrol per vehicle per day, officials said on Friday. The order, also asking the fuel stations not to provide more than 10 liters of diesel per commercial vehicle per day, has been also withdrawn in wake of the supplies arriving today.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan said 3000 trucks, 504 oil tankers, 3400 Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) reached Kashmir and there is no dearth of essential commodities in the valley He said that with more trucks coming tomorrow, there is no question of scarcity of any essential commodity. He said that people don’t need to worry with regards to essential commodities.
He said that further 1000 stranded passengers were brought from Jammu via special flights to ease the rush. Similarly, for the first time GATE, students were airlifted free of cost to Jammu.
Meanwhile, the authorities said that only stranded traffic would be allowed to move on Srinagar-Jammu highway tomorrow.
“Keeping in view the advisory issued by MeT department, there may be chances of heavy snowfall/rain in J&K, may lead to disruption on the highway. Therefore subject to fair weather/clearance of the road tomorrow on February 14 only stranded vehicles shall be allowed towards Srinagar,” a traffic department official said.