Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 23: One way traffic was resumed on Jammu- Srinagar National Highway this afternoon, after remaining suspended for three days due to washing away of a portion of the road and landslides in Ramban sector.
IG Traffic, J&K, Alok Kumar said that only stranded vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar were allowed to move after re-opening of the road this afternoon. No vehicle will be allowed from the opposite direction, he added.
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He said over 8000 heavy vehicles, mostly trucks carrying fruits were stranded in Qazigund and Anantnag areas for the past about one week. These vehicles will be allowed to move first after executing some maintenance work at Digdol tomorrow morning. He said though road was somehow restored today but it needs urgent maintenance work. No LMV from either side will be allowed tomorrow.
The Srinagar-Leh Highway and historic Mughal and Kishtwar-Sinthon Top-Anantnag roads remained closed for the past 13 days due to accumulation of several feet of snow and slippery road conditions. Traffic on the highway was suspended Friday night after a portion of road was washed away due to landslides at Digdol, he said.
However, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) immediately pressed into service the machines and men, removed the debris and made new road. Traffic was allowed to move on the highway after new road was constructed and landslides were removed.
Stranded vehicles, including those carrying essentials for Kashmir valley and passengers were allowed to move, an official said adding no vehicle was allowed from opposite direction.
The official said that only one-way traffic will continue on the highway till further orders as the road at several places is very narrow where only one vehicle can pass at a time. He appealed to people to strictly follow the advisory being issued by the traffic department daily. He appealed to people to contact Traffic Control Units (TCUs) at Srinagar, Jammu and Ramban before starting journey on the highway.
However, drivers and people travelling on the highway alleged that there is traffic jam for hours almost daily between Qazigund and Ramban as vehicles are being allowed to ply from both sides despite announcing one-way traffic. Fruit growers on Kashmir alleged that several thousand trucks, carrying fruit for different Mandis in the country, were stranded on this side of the Jawahar tunnel for the past more than ten days.
“Our trucks remained stranded when other vehicles are being allowed to move”, they said and alleged that when traffic was restored recently authorities allowed traffic from Jammu to Srinagar for two consecutive days.
The historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in South Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region remained closed for the past 13 days due to accumulation of snowfall and slippery road conditions. There was several feet of fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours on the highway, particularly at Pir-Ki-Gali and Hirpora. The 434-km-long National Highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir also remained closed for the past 13 days due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has already announced closure of the highway for winter months. However, UT Ladakh said they were not consulted before announcing closure.
Due to fog in Jammu area several trains were delayed today while normal air traffic was also affected during morning hours. However, with the improvement in weather most of the flights operated from Jammu airport today.
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