Hundreds of vehicles leave Jammu for Srinagar; Mughal road, Leh NH remain closed

SRINAGAR : Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essentials and passengers, left Jammu for Kashmir Valley on Sunday morning as one-way traffic continued on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
Historic Mughal road and Leh-Srinagar National Highway, connecting Ladakh with Kashmir, remained closed for the past about a fortnight.
In view of sudden landslides and inclement weather on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the traffic police have issued an advisory, asking people to contact Traffic Control Units (TCU) before undertaking journey.
We have allowed traffic today from Jammu to Srinagar on the highway, the only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, a traffic police official said.
He said both Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Sunday with some restrictions.
He said LMVs have to pass Nagrota in Jammu between 0500 hrs to 1400 hrs and from Jakheni in Udhampur) upto 1600 hrs.
No LMVs shall be allowed from Nagrota and Jakheni after cut off timings, he said.
He said HMVs will be allowed to pass Jakheni in Udhampur from 1600 hrs to 2400 hrs.
People are advised to contact TCUs before taking their journey on the national highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, he said.
He said people are advised to contact concerned traffic control rooms and helplines before planning their journey. The helpline numbers are, TCU Jammu 0191-2459048, TCU Ramban 9419993745, TCU Srinagar 0194- 2450022, 2485396.
After clearing the stranded vehicles on Saturday on the 300-km-long highway, which was closed due to landslides at Gangroo and Kharpora between Ramban and Ramsu on Friday evening, traffic was allowed from Srinagar to Jammu for the second successive day.
The official said the Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch, remained closed due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of several feet of snow.
He said there is very remote chance of resumption of traffic on the Mughal road, which remains closed for six winter months due to heavy snowfall and threat of avalanches.
He said traffic also remained suspended on 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway following snowfall due to which the road has become slippery.
There is very less chance of resumption of traffic on the highway following accumulation of snow due to below freezing temperature, making snow clearance operation difficult, official sources said, adding that there is also threat of avalanches. (AGENCIES)