Highway connecting Ladakh closed, Kashmir highway, Mughal road open

SRINAGAR:The National Highway, connecting the Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley, was closed today due to landslides, triggered by cloudburst and heavy rain.
However, the Kashmir highway and historic Mughal road were through for traffic.
Official sources said cloudburst and heavy rain triggered landslides at three places on the 434-km-long on the highway, particularly between Ganderbal and Sonamarg.
The highway, linking the Ladakh with Kashmir, remained frequently closed due to landslides during the past about a fortnight, also affecting Amarnath yatra from Baltal track.
Due to closure of the highway, Amarnath pilgrims, who had night halt at Manigam and Sumbal transit camps, could not leave for Baltal this morning.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway have also pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides. Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and Mughal raod, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region were through for traffic.
However, light vehicles were being allowed to ply from both Jammu and Srinagar while heavy vehicles will continue to ply on alternate days on the highway. Heavy vehicles, carrying Amarnath pilgrims will ply from both sides, they said. (AGENCIES)