Fayaz Bukhari/
Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, December 15:The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway that was closed for traffic due to heavy snowfall yesterday was re-opened for one-way traffic this evening following improvement in weather while authorities cleared nearly 500 stranded vehicles till this evening.
Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Munir Ahmad Khan, told the Excelsior that snow was cleared from the highway in Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop areas by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) and movement of vehicles was allowed towards Srinagar this evening.
The IGP said that the stranded vehicles are being cleared first and if the weather improves the highway will be open for one-way traffic tomorrow. He said that passenger vehicles and goods carriers will be allowed to proceed towards Srinagar from Jammu tomorrow.
Mr Khan said that 60-70 passenger vehicles that were stopped in Ramban yesterday after heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel, were allowed to cross it this evening. He said that this was followed by clearance of stranded load carriers between Ramban and Banihal.
The highway was reopened for one-way traffic following improvement in weather and snow clearance by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) in Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop areas.
The BRO pressed its men and machinery into service early in the morning and cleared snow from the highway.
The National Highway was closed yesterday following heavy snowfall in Banihal and Patnitop areas. However, despite snowfall, authorities yesterday cleared around 100 passenger vehicles that were stranded on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel and in Batote areas of the National Highway.
DIG Traffic Jammu Shakeel Beig said that traffic on Jammu-Doda-Kishtwar and Doda-Bhaderwah road was restored today after clearance of snow at Patnitop by BRO men. He said snow clearance operation was in progress on Thana Mandi-Dera Ki Gali-Bafliaz-Poonch road. The Jammu-Poonch highway is, however operational through Bhimber Gali and Krishna Ghati.
Mr Beig said the up convoy from Jammu towards Srinagar will be allowed between 5 am to 11 am. No vehicle will be allowed upward from Udhampur TPC after 12.30 pm tomorrow. The DIG further said that traffic will be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu on Monday, subject to weather conditions.
Responding to a question, the DIG further said many vehicles had been stranded at Chenani, Kud, Batote, Chanderkot and Ramban. Nearly 500 stranded vehicles were cleared by this evening. The process was still going on but again some reports of fresh snow fall in Jawahar Tunnel area were received late this evening. It may affect the smooth movement of traffic, he maintained. He said several link roads in Doda and Kishtwar area have been closed due to rain and snowfall. The efforts were on to restore traffic. He said the traffic on Mughal road could not be restored due to heavy snowfall at Pir Ki Gali pass of Pir Panjal Range.
A report from Kathua said that Basohli-Bani road remained closed on the second consecutive day due to land slides near Kardoh area, just 25 kms short of Bani. The Machedi road in Billawar has also been closed while traffic on Ramnagar-Dudu-Basantgarh road of Udhampur has also come to grinding halt due to snow fall.
Meanwhile, there was a slight improvement in the night temperature across Kashmir division with Srinagar recording a minimum of 1.4 degree Celsius, a spokesman of the MeT office said here.
Gulmarg Ski resort in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district was the coldest place in the Valley, recording a minimum of minus 4.7 degree Celsius, the spokesman said.
The Weatherman said Leh was the coldest place in the Kashmir division where mercury dipped to minus 10 degree Celsius on Friday night while nearby Kargil district recorded a low of minus 6.2 degree Celsius.
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