SRINAGAR: Despite landslides disrupting traffic for over three hours, the national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic and vehicles will ply fro Srinagar to Jammu on Wednesday.
However, the Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) Ladakh with Kashmir and historic 86-km-long Mughal road remained closed due to accumulation of snow and slippery road condition due to below freezing temperature.
There were fresh landslides at Digdol late Tuesday night forcing suspension of traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, a traffic police official said this morning.
However, he said, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for maintenance and widening of the highway, immediately pressed into service sophisticated machines and men and cleared the landslides.
He said traffic was restored after three hours and vehicles were allowed to move towards their respective destinations. Today traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu only and no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he said. However, he said, vehicles had to cross Qazigund before 1200 hrs.
Spokesman said only one-way traffic will continue on the highway till further orders. However, people in Kashmir valley alleged that due to frequent suspension of traffic on the highway, prices of essentials often witness increase.
Official sources said the 434-km-long national highway, the only road linking UT Ladakh with Kashmir, also remained closed for the past 22 days on Wednesday due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions. The road has become very slippery due to below freezing temperature, particularly at Zojila pass. There is almost no chance of reopening of the road during winter, they said.
The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has already announced closure of the highway for winter months. However, Union Territory (UT) Ladakh administration alleged that they were not consulted before announcing closure of the highway.
Meanwhile, due to slippery conditions after freezing of snow water, there is also no chance of resumption of traffic on the historic Mughal and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads during winter. Traffic on the Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, was closed on December 11 due to heavy snowfall, particularly at Pir-ki-Gali, they said.
(agencies)
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