Kupwara-Karnah road reopens; Keran, Machil, Gurez remain cutoff
Srinagar, Dec 14 (UNI) Roads to several far-flung and remote villages, including border town of Karnah, reopened on Monday after remaining closed for two days due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of snow.
However, two main roads — Kupwara-Machil and Bandipora-Gurez — remained suspended since December 8 due to accumulation of about two to three feet of snow. Traffic to dozens of others remote areas, including border town of Keran, also remained suspended for the third day on Monday due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions in north Kashmir.
“One-way traffic from Kupwara to Karnah was allowed to ply this morning after clearance of snow from the road, including Sadhna top, and improvement in the weather conditions,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, told UNI over phone on Monday.
He said Z gali and Phirkiyan pass on Friday and Saturday received about a foot to 2 feet of fresh snowfall, which has now frozen due to sub-zero night temperature. “Snow clearance operation has been started in these areas following improvement in the weather,” he said, adding traffic will be resumed only after getting a green signal from officials deployed on the ground.
An official of Police Control Room (PCR) from Bandipora told UNI that Gurez, which is surrounded from Pakistan-occupied- Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, remained closed for traffic since December 8. “Razdan pass, connecting Gurez, Neeru and dozens of other areas near LoC with district headquarters Bandipora, received fresh snowfall on Friday night and Saturday hampering the snow clearance operation,” he said.
He said it is highly unlikely that the traffic will be restored to the border town any time sooner. The border town of Gurez and adjoining areas remain cutoff from rest of the Union Territory (UT) for about six winter months every year.
UNI