Hundreds of vehicles leave for Kashmir from Jammu

SRINAGAR : Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essentials, left Jammu this morning for Srinagar as one-way traffic continued on the highway.
“We have allowed traffic from Jammu to Kashmir today since only one-way traffic will continue on the highway,” a traffic police official said.
However, no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he said, adding that majority vehicles, which had left Srinagar yesterday, had reached Jammu.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, was working to make the highway safe for two-way traffic.
The road is still damaged and narrow due to landslides at some places, particularly between Ramban and Ramsu, he said, adding for the safety of passenger and truckers to avoid traffic jam, it was decided to allow only one-way traffic on the highway till further orders.
Traffic on the highway, the only road linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, has been disrupted frequently due to snowfall and landslides besides slippery road conditions since first heavy snowfall on January 6.
The historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, which is seen as alternative to Kashmir highway, also remained closed due to accumulation of snow.
There is also no change in the situation in north Kashmir as dozens of far-flung and remote areas, particularly near the Line of Control (LoC), also remained cut off from their respective district headquarters. The road from Bandipora-Gurez, border town also remained closed.
The Ladakh region also remained cut off from Kashmir due to closure of the highway since last year due to accumulation of snow. There was also fresh snowfall at Sonmarg and Gagangeer besides Zojila pass yesterday. (AGENCIES)