SRINAGAR: Despite rain the national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was open for one-way traffic and Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Monday.
However, hundreds of LMVs which had left Jammu early this morning have been stopped between Udhampur and Samroli due to temporary suspension of traffic after a truck met with an accident this morning.
No fresh Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) will be allowed from Srinagar or Jammu as only stranded HMVs between Nashree and Ramban will be allowed to move towards Srinagar, a traffic police official said.
He said the national highway, the only link between the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh and Kashmir remained shut due to accumulation of snow and avalanches since January Ist, this year. There was fresh snowfall at Sonamarg and Zojila pass early this morning.
Meanwhile, there is also no change on historic 86-km-long Mughal road which remained closed since December last year though Mechanical Engineering Department (MED) has started snow clearance operation despite threat of avalanches.
Traffic official said there is a forecast for rain and snow which could trigger landslides and shooting stones on the highway during the next 24 hours.
Traffic official said the 270-km-long national highway is open for one-way traffic. Today LMVs will ply from Jammu to Srinagar, he said adding vehicles had to pass Nagrota between 0500 hrs to 1200 hrs and from Jakheni Udhampur between 0600 hrs to 1300 hrs. No vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he said.
However, all vehicles which had left Jammu early this morning are stranded between Udhampur and Samroli. ”We have left Jammu at 0400 hrs this morning for Srinagar but are stranded several kms short of Samroli, Shafiq Ahmad Dar, travelling with his wife and ailing son said over phone.
We are stranded for the past about four hours without any tea or food”, he said.
He said some traffic officials said that there was accident on the highway forcing suspension of the traffic. However, they could not say when the traffic will be resumed, Dar said.
Traffic official said that no fresh HMVs will be allowed for the second consecutive day from Jammu or Srinagar today, when only stranded vehicles between Nashree and Ramban will be allowed to proceed towards Srinagar.
Security forces are also advised not to ply against traffic advisory in view of the traffic congestion on the highway. They too may ply from Jammu to Srinagar, he said. (AGENCIES)
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