| Despite fresh snowfall, Kashmir highway through, Srinagar-Leh closed | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 15: Despite fresh snowfall and heavy rain triggering landslides, the national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through. However, only light vehicles will ply from both sides while heavy vehicles from Kashmir to Jammu, a traffic police official told this morning.
Meanwhile, fresh snowfall was experienced on the national highway, linking Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic Mughal road besides Bandipora-Gurez road which remained closed since December last year.
He said to avoid any accident and traffic jam it was decided to allow light vehicles from Srinagar and Jammu. Heavy vehicles, including trucks and empty oil tankers will ply from Kashmir to Jammu, he said adding no heavy vehicle will be allowed from Jammu. There was fresh snowfall at Jawahar tunnel and heavy rain at Ramban, Ramsu, Penthal and other places yesterday with the result there were shooting stones and minor landslides, he said adding but the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had been immediately pressing into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides and stones to put through the traffic.
There was fresh snowfall at several places, including Zojila, Sonmarg and Meenmarg on the national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir which is closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow. The snow clearance operation by BRO was going on war footing to put through the highway. Snow clearance operation has almost been completed on Zojila, most troubled part on the national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir. However, there was fresh snowfall at several places on the strategically important highway during the past few days.
This time the BRO had announced that the highway would be put through for traffic about a month earlier because of less snowfall this time. However, it could get delayed because of fresh snowfall. The Union Government has already approved construction of a tunnel at Zojila to make it all weather road.
Meanwhile, fresh snowfall was recorded on the historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region yesterday also which has hampered snow clearance operation. It may take now more weeks to allow traffic on the road. There was also fresh snowfall on the road linking the border town of Gurez and dozens of other villages near the Line of Control (LoC) with district headquarter Bandipora. Earlier the authorities had announced to open the road this week. The snow clearance operation was going on to put through the road within next few days if there is no fresh snowfall. |
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