SRINAGAR : The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley was closed yet again after remaining through for some hours yesterday following heavy snowfall.
Traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway has been closed till further orders by divisional commissioner, Kashmir, a traffic police official told here today.
He said there was fresh snowfall on the highway, particularly between Sonamarg-Zojilla and Meenmarg, forcing authorities to suspend traffic again, he said.
He said traffic was resumed on November 8 afternoon on the national highway, after remaining suspended since November 4 due to one to two feet of snowfall.
However, only stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards their respective destinations after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintainance of the highway put into service sophisticated machines and men and cleared the snow.
However, huge walls of snow could still be seen on both sides of the road.
Hundreds of vehicles crossed the Zojila pass before it was again closed due to snowfall resulting in slippery road conditions. Large number of vehicles still got stranded in Zojila area because of slippery road conditions.
No fresh vehicle will be allowed from any side even if the road is again put through until all the stranded vehicles are cleared from both sides.
However, he said early snowfall this year has forced authorities to suspend traffic on the highway twice this month. ”Last year we kept the highway open till January, he said adding this year we may have to close the highway next month because of early snowfall,” he added.
Meanwhile, authorities have stocked essentials, including rice, atta, sugar, LPG, kerosene oil, diesel, patrol and medicine at different places in the region which remained cut off for six winter months due to snowfall, particularly in Zojila area.
However, for the past few years the highway was being kept through till December or January against previous practice of declaring the lifeline to Ladakh closed from November Ist every year. (UNI)
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