SRINAGAR – Only one-way traffic continued on Monday for the second successive day on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, the national highway, linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir valley also remained closed for the fifth consecutive day on Monday due to avalanches at several places following fresh snowfall.
The 86-km-long historic Mughal road remained closed for the 13th day on Monday due to snowfall. The road is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch.
A traffic police official told UNI this morning that only one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar was allowed on the national highway on Monday. “No vehicle will be allowed from the opposite direction,” he added.
He said two-way traffic on Kashmir national highway will be allowed only after getting a green signal from the officials on the ground. “The highway is not fit for two-way traffic as of now as landslides and shooting stones at Digdol and some other places in Ramban area has taken a heavy toll on the road,” he said.
The Traffic official said there was fresh snowfall on historic Mughal road during the past 48 hours. The road is closed for the past 13 days due to accumulation of several feet of snow.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Leh national highway remained closed for traffic for the fifth day on Monday due to fresh snowfall at Meenmarg and Zojila pass and Sonamarg. The Border Roads Organisation, responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has started snow clearance operation from both Sonmarg and Meenmarg sides.
Roads to Keran, Karnah reopen
Roads to dozens of far flung and remote villages, including border towns of Keran and Karnah, reopened on Monday after remaining closed for three days due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of snow.
However, the Kupwara-Machil and Gurez-Bandipora roads in north Kashmir remained closed on Monday since November 6 due to accumulation of snowfall and slippery road conditions.
“Traffic on Kupwara-Keran road was allowed to ply on Sunday evening after improvement in weather and clearance of over a foot of snow,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, told UNI over the phone.
He said after clearing over two feet of snow on Kupwara-Karnah road, traffic to the remote border town was allowed from Monday morning. “Vehicular movement was also allowed towards different remote and far flung areas in north Kashmir on Monday,” he added.
Traffic was suspended on roads leading to Keran, Karnah and other far flung areas in north Kashmir on Friday following slippers road conditions and accumulation of snow. However, snow clearance operations on these roads were taken up on Sunday following improvement in the weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the official said Kupwara-Machil road remained closed due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions. “Roads leading to dozens of far flung and remote villages also remained closed due to fresh snowfall since Thursday night,” he said.
Snow clearance operation has been initiated and traffic will be restores to these areas only after clearing the accumulated snow.
Border areas of Gurez, Neeru and dozens of other areas also remained cutoff from district headquarter Bandipora due to accumulation of several feet of snow on the road. “The road has been closed on November 6 due to several feet of snow and slippery conditions. There was more than five feet of snow at Razdan Pass,” official said.
The authorities have already pressed into service snow clearance machines and cutters to clear the snow and put through the road, which used to shut for six winter months in the past. The government has approved a tunnel at Razdan pass to make it an all weather road.
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