SRINAGAR: Only stranded vehicles were allowed to ply for second successive day on Sunday on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country.
However, the traffic was disrupted for sometime early in the morning due to slippery road conditions following fresh snow and shooting stones at some areas on the highway, where hundreds of vehicles have been stranded since Friday amid chilly weather conditions.
“After slight disruption early in the morning due to snowfall, stranded vehicles were allowed to ply towards their respective destinations on Srinagar-Jammu national highway,” a traffic police official said.
Stranded vehicles were on Saturday allowed to move towards their respective destinations on the highway, where several thousand vehicles, including those carrying passengers, were stranded since Friday due to slippery road conditions coupled with heavy traffic jam.
However, he said traffic was on Sunday morning again suspended on the highway due to slippery road conditions following by fresh snowfall and shooting stones. But, he said traffic was again restored on the highway after some hours.
He said hundreds of Kashmir bound Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), loaded with diesel, petrol, LPG and other essentials, were stranded on the other side of the Jawahar tunnel. “Similarly hundreds of passenger vehicles, which had left Srinagar on Friday, were stranded at Banihal and other areas,” he said. The passengers, including women, children and elderly persons had to spent night in vehicles. They alleged that vehicles were stopped at places where there is no facility.
The LMV passenger vehicles on way to Jammu remained stranded at Banihal and Qazigund, official said, adding it was decided to allow these vehicles only after Kashmir bound HMVs will cross tunnel.
He said fresh traffic will be allowed only after clearing stranded vehicles on the highway.
Meanwhile, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) Ladakh with Kashmir valley, remained suspended for the past over one month on Sunday due to accumulation of over five feet snow and slippery condition.
The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, and Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed for the past 33 days. There is no possibility of reopening of these roads before April-May.
(AGENCIES)
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