SRINAGAR : The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the third day today due to heavy snowfall though all stranded vehicles were cleared after the road was put through for several hours yesterday in the afternoon.
Dozens of villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), remained closed due to heavy snowfall during the past three days.
A traffic police official said the highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained closed due to heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions. However, he said, 2,500 vehicles, including those carrying passengers and trucks loaded with essentials, which were stranded at different places, including Udhampur, Nagrota, Batote, Patnitop and Ramban, were allowed to proceed towards Kashmir valley in the afternoon yesterday. Traffic movement was allowed after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, cleared snow on the highway. But, he said, later in the evening traffic was again stopped due to slippery road conditions at several places because of sub zero temperature.
“We have decided to allow traffic from Kashmir to Jammu today,” he said, adding that but heavy snowfall at Qazigund, Jawahat tunnel, Shaitan Nallah, Banihal and Patnitop the highway was again closed.
There was one feet to two feet of snowfall on the highway, he said.
Meanwhile, a large number of trucks and oil tankers are stranded at different places, including Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir.
The truck drivers and conductors alleged that they are stranded for the past four days. “We have nothing to eat now, there is no water and other facilities,” the drivers said alleging that authorities have failed to provide them any assistance.
Dozens of villages, including those near the LoC, remained closed due to heavy snowfall. The border towns of Keran, Karnah, Machil, Tangdhar, Gurez, Neeru and Teetwal also remained cut off from their respective district headquarters due to heavy snowfall. MLA elect Nazir Ahmad Khan has demanded helicopter service to border areas. He said a large number of students and others are stranded at Bandipora and other places due to closure of roads following heavy snowfall. The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley, also remained closed since December last year due to heavy snowfall.
The Mughal road, connecting south Kashmir with Jammu region also remained closed.
(AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel