Kashmir highway remains closed for 2nd day, Leh & Mughal road through for one-way
Srinagar, : The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for the second day on Friday due to landslides and continuous shooting stones.
However, one-way traffic continued to ply on the National Highway, the only road linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic 86-km-long Mughal road.
Over 3,000 vehicles, including trucks carrying essentials and oil tankers besides passengers, are stranded at different places on the Kashmir highway which has been closed for traffic following landslides at Digdol and some other places in Ramban on Wednesday evening, official sources told UNI.
They said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have pressed into service sophisticated machines to clear the landslides. However, they said, due to continuous shooting stones, operation to clear landslide was being hampered. About 70 per cent landslides have been cleared and remaining 30 per cent would take some time more before the highway is put through, they said, adding that only stranded vehicles will be allowed to move towards their respective destination when road reopens.
The sources said over 3,000 vehicles, including trucks and oil tankers, are stranded on the highway. Passengers, including tourists, stranded since yesterday alleged that authorities have totally failed to provide them even a glass of water.
‘We have been stopped at a place where there is no facility,’ alleged passengers.
Only one-way traffic will continue to ply on the National Highway, the only road linking Ladakh region with Kashmir valley, he said, adding that today, Kashmir-bound vehicle will be allowed to ply, a traffic police official told UNI. However, he said, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Minimarg in Ladakh region towards Kashmir between 0700 hrs to 1000 hrs followed by Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) from 1000 hrs to 1300 hrs. He said no vehicle will be allowed after the deadline.
Only one-way traffic will be allowed to ply on historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, he said, adding today, traffic will ply from Behramgalla to Shopian between 0600 hrs to 1500 hrs.
(UNI)