SRINAGAR : The national highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained closed for the seventh day today, affecting essential commodities’ supply to Kashmir valley and Jammu-bound trucks and passengers.
However, since yesterday, the highway was closed due to landslides and shooting stones, triggered by heavy rains at different places.
The highway was earlier closed as a precautionary measure because of curfew and tension in different parts of Jammu region, where communal clashes in Kishtwar left three people dead and property worth crores was damaged on August 9.
However, Army convoy and vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu were allowed on the highway since August 13 morning.
A traffic police official said here that no vehicle was allowed from Srinagar to Jammu.
However, he said, there were landslides and shooting stones at different places, forcing authorities to suspend the traffic.
He said Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the road.
However, no vehicle will be allowed before receiving green signal from the authorities, he said.
This is for the second time the highway was closed because of protests and tension during the past one month.
Last month, people protested at several places on the highway after four people were killed and several others were injured after BSF allegedly opened fire in Gool area of Ramban district. (AGENCIES)
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