SRINAGAR: Ladakh region remained cut off for the third day today while the highway linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country and historic Mughal road are through for traffic. Dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), remained closed due to heavy snowfall.
A traffic police official told UNI that 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was through for traffic despite intermittent rain during the past 24 hours. He said traffic on historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region was resumed last evening.
All the vehicles, stranded on both sides of the Peer-ki-Gali, were cleared and fresh traffic was allowed this morning from both sides. However, there was snow on both sides of the road.
The 84-km-long road was closed on October 25 evening after one to two feet of snowfall at several places, particularly at Peer-ki-Gali, Dubjan and Bafflo. However, police and local administration rescued more than one hundred vehicles and dozens of drivers and conductors who got stranded on the highway next morning.
He said the local administration pressed into service sophisticated machines and men and put through the road last evening. However, the highway connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir remained closed due to snowfall at Sonmarg, Zojilla and Meenmarg since October 25.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the road. There was half-a-feet snow at Sonmarg and about two feet at Zojila pass.
However, as the weather remained dry during the past 24 hours, the BRO has cleared maximum snow on the road and it could be put through later today or tomorrow morning. Hundreds of vehicles are stranded on both sides of the Zojila pass.
The Centre and state government have already given approval to construct a tunnel at Zojila pass to make this strategically important highway all weather road. Roads, connecting dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including near the LoC with their respective district headquarters, remained closed due to one to two feet of snowfall. The local authorities have pressed into service snow clearance machines to restore road communication links with the cut off villages. (UNI)
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