SRINAGAR: Despite rain, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway and national highway connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir remained open for both ways.
The historic Mughal road, linking south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu was also through despite rain, a traffic police official said here.
However, heavy vehicles were plying from one side only on the highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, he said. Roads and Building (R&B) Minister Syed Altaf Ahmad Bukhari has expressed discontent over the delay in completion of four-laning of the Lakhanpur-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, especially Banihal-Srinagar stretch.
Traffic police official said that despite rain, light vehicles were plying from both sides on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. However, heavy vehicles are plying on alternative days on the highway, he said, adding that today, trucks and other heavy vehicles will ply from Srinagar to Jammu.
No heavy vehicle will be allowed from Jammu to Srinagar to avoid traffic jam and accidents, he said, adding that that road is still narrow at some places where two heavy vehicles could not pass at a time. However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working to repair the road damaged due to landslides and soil erosion in winter.
The highway remained closed frequently during this winter leading to acute shortage of essential commodities. However, for five months, only one way traffic was plying on the highway before it was again put through for both ways for light vehicles only last month.
He said light vehicles from both sides are also plying on the Mughal road.
Though the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway was open, only one way traffic is allowed at Zojila pass. He said in the morning, vehicles are allowed from Srinagar to Leh, while in the afternoon traffic is allowed from opposite side to valley.
An official spokesperson said Mr Bukhari has asked the NHAI authorities to accelerate pace fo work on the Lakhanpore-Jammu-Srinagar project to ensure its early completion.
He said the government cannot leave people to suffer because of the laxity of the executing agency and asked NHAI to expedite the pace of work with all seriousness. This was stated by the Minister while chairing first meeting of High Level Monitoring Committee (HLMC) constituted to monitor the progress of the projects being executed by BRO and NHAI besides settling the issues related to shifting of utilities, land acquisition and forest clearance cases.
The Minister said the land acquisition and removal of structures, coming under the road projects, should not hinder the progress of the projects and has asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure early settlement of land acquisition cases besides removal of structures.
He asked them to take early action and handover the land to the executing agencies for taking forward the project smoothly. He also asked them to remove all hurdles affecting the progress of work. Emphasising on maintaining coordination between line departments, the Minister asked the authorities of BRO, SAMPARK, NHAI to share their problems with the officers of R&B department for early settlement of issues. Government machinery is here for facilitating your job and addressing your issues affecting the progress of the project, said the Minister, adding that better coordination between line departments and executing agencies will definitely enhance the progress of the projects started across the State. Mr Bukhari instructed the authorities of R&B department to keep check on encroachments coming up along-side of National Highway and other roads. He asked them to strictly implement the ban imposed on land and road encroachments. He was informed that the Srinagar-Jammu national highway has been divided into six zones with total length of 293 km. Of them, four laning of 180 kms has been completed, including 17 kms of Srinagar bypass, and the work is apace on 92 kms while 72 km are yet to be awarded. (AGENCIES)
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