Srinagar, May 19 : Traffic was suspended on Wednesday on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, due to weekly maintenance and repair of the road, particularly between Nashree and Jawahar tunnel.
Passenger traffic and pedestrian movement remained suspended on the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, which reopened after remaining close since December last year due to accumulation of snow which was cleared last month. Only Jammu bound load carriers, carrying perishable fruit and vegetables besides empty trucks and oil tankers are allowed to ply.
Meanwhile, one-way traffic continued on the national highway linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with the Kashmir valley, a traffic police official told UNI. Today Kashmir-bound vehicles will ply from Kargil to Srinagar on the highway. Vehicles had to cross Minamarg between 0700 hrs to 1400 hrs, he said adding no vehicle will be allowed before and after cut off timing.
He said no traffic was allowed from Jammu or Srinagar on Wednesday in view of the weekly maintenance of the road. The UT J&K administration had announced that there will be no traffic on every Wednesday to allow the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake necessary maintenance of the highway. This decision was taken in view of frequent disruption of traffic on the highway due to landslides and shooting stones, particularly after the NHAI started work to convert the highway into four lane, particularly between Nashree and Jawahar tunnel.
However, suspension of traffic on the highway resulted in shortage of essentials, particularly fresh vegetables and fruit in the valley, where people are entirely dependent on imports from different northern states. Prices of essentials go up when the highway is closed due to landslides and shooting stones, particularly in the winter.
Meanwhile, traffic was resumed on the Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, after almost all political parties and locals living on both sides of the road alleged that despite completion of snow clearance operation last month, the road remained closed since December last year.
Traffic police official said no passenger vehicle or pedestrian movement will be allowed on the road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway. Only load carriers, carrying perishable fruit and vegetables besides empty truck and oil tankers will be allowed to ply from Heerpora Shopian to Poonch between 0800 hrs to 1400 hrs, he said adding no vehicle will be allowed before and after the cut off timing.
