SRINAGAR: Traffic on Srinagar- Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained suspended for the second day on Wednesday due to fresh snowfall and landslides.
Hundreds of passenger vehicles besides trucks, carrying essentials for Kashmir valley, remained stranded on the highway.
He said traffic on the highway was suspended again yesterday following fresh snowfall at Qazigund, the gateway of Kashmir and both sides of Jawhar Tunnel (JT) and Shaitan Nallah.
He said there was also fresh snowfall during the night. Rain also triggered landslides and shooting stone between Ramban and Ramsu.
“All vehicles which had left different parts of Jammu region on Tuesday have been stopped at Nagrota and Udhampur,” he said.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has started snow clearance operation, he said, adding but continued snowing was hampering the operation. “Once a green signal is received from traffic officials and NHAI, only stranded vehicles will be allowed to move towards their respective destinations,” they said.
Official sources said hundreds of vehicles, carrying passengers besides trucks, oil and LPG tankers, which had left Jammu yesterday, have been stopped at Udhampur, Nagrota and other places.
Since Kashmir valley is entirely dependent upon imports from different northern states, including Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan, frequent closure of the highway due to snow, landslides, shooting stones often leads to shortage of essentials, including fresh vegetables. Prices of essentials also go up when highway gets closed.
The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) Ladakh with Kashmir, and 98-km-long Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, and Anantnag-Kishtwar remained closed for the past 50 days.
These roads are likely to reopen in April-May. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
