SRINAGAR : Despite fresh rain, the National Highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic and vehicles will ply from Jammu to Srinagar today.
Several thousand vehicles, including those carrying passengers who were stranded for the past one week, and trucks loaded with essentials, left Jammu and other parts of the region for Kashmir valley this morning.
However, no vehicle was allowed from Kashmir to Jammu, a traffic police official told UNI.
He said the highway was through despite intermittent rain since last night at different places. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the Highway, has pressed into service men and sophisticated machines to keep removing landslides and shooting stones, particularly in Ramban and Ramsu area. It was closed initially for 24 hours on Friday afternoon to allow BRO to undertake repair work so that vehicles could pass safely in the avalanche prone areas. However, heavy rains triggered fresh landslides at several places on the highway forcing authorities to suspend traffic. After working round the clock, the BRO put through the highway for one-way yesterday afternoon. Since several thousand passengers, including women and children, were stranded at Jammu bus stand for the past about one week, it was decided to allow traffic from Jammu to Srinagar after the highway reopened.
Because of heavy rush of passengers at Jammu and shortage of essentials, particularly vegetables in the valley, it was decided to allow traffic from winter capital to Srinagar also. Hundreds of trucks loaded with vegetables and other essentials besides oil tankers are on way to Srinagar from Jammu. Keeping in view the road condition and weather, traffic will be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu tomorrow. At that time, no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction. (agencies)
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