Kashmir highway opens despite rain, Mughal road remains closed

SRINAGAR :  Despite rain the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained through for one-way traffic.
However, the Mughal road linking the south Kashmir with Jammu remained closed during the past three months though authorities have already started snow clearance operation to put it through.
A traffic police spokesperson told that the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was through for one-way only despite rain.
Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers and empty trucks and oil tankers left Kashmir valley for Jammu. However, no vehicle was allowed from Jammu.
Meanwhile,  the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintainance of the highway, have already started operation to clear all hurdles to make the road two way.     Only one-way traffic is allowed on the highway for the past four months as the road was damaged at several places, where only one vehicle could pass at a time.
Now the BRO has started work to repair the damaged portion of the road to put it through for two-way, he said.    The highway remained frequently closed due to landslides, shooting stones and snowfall during the month of March and April, resulting in acute shortage of essentials, particularly fresh vegetables in the Kashmir valley.
Meanwhile, the Mughal road connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Poonch in Jammu region remained closed for the past three months.
Authorities have already put into service three snow cutters and other sophisticated machines besides men to clear several feet snow on the road, which is expected to reopen in the last week of this month or first week of May. (AGENCIES)