SRINAGAR: Traffic on the National Highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was partially restored on Wednesday and only stranded vehicles were allowed to move.
Historic Mughal road and Leh-Srinagar National Highway, connecting Ladakh with Kashmir, remained closed for the past ten days.
A traffic police official said that the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was put through after removing the landslides. However, no fresh vehicle was allowed and only stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards their respective destinations.
He said the highway was closed on Tuesday evening following fresh landslides at Ramban. However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, immediately put into service sophisticated machines and put through the road for traffic this morning.
He said the Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch, remained closed due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of several feet of snow.
The official said there is very remote chance of resumption of traffic on the Mughal road which remains closed for six winter months due to heavy snowfall and threat of avalanches.
He said traffic also remained suspended on 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway following snowfall due to which the road has become slippery. A large number of Kashmir vehicles, including empty trucks and oil tankers besides carrying passengers, are stranded at Drass, Kargil and other places on other side of the Zojila pass.
Similarly, some vehicles are also stopped on this side of the pass in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal. There is very less chance of resumption of traffic on the highway following accumulation of snow due to below freezing temperature, making snow clearance operation difficult, official sources said, adding that there is also threat of avalanches.
(AGENCIES)
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