SRINAGAR: The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was closed today due to fresh landslides.
”We have suspended traffic on the highway due to fresh landslides in Ramban and Penthal area at 0900 hrs,” a traffic police official said.
He said the highway was through for both way light vehicle traffic since early this morning. However, fresh landslides, particularly in Penthal area of the highway, forced closure of the road, he added.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslide and restored the traffic.
However, he said, it will take some time as there was also threat of shooting stones. Meanwhile, vehicles, carrying Amarnath pilgrims, who had left Jammu for Baltal and Pahalgam base camps early this morning, have been stopped at safe place to be allowed only when a green signal is received from traffic police and BRO that road is through for traffic.
Similarly, Jammu-bound vehicles have also been stopped on this side of the Banihal.
Traffic on the highway has been suspended frequently due to landslides and shooting stones this year.
However, the national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, are through. (AGENCIES)
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