Srinagar, Aug 26 (UNI) The Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second consecutive day on Wednesday due to closure of the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway following landslides and shooting stones, triggered by rain.
However, the 434-km-long national highway, linking the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir and historic 86-km-long Mughal road are through for one-way traffic despite the rain.
Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essentials, remained stranded at several places on the highway.
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained shut for the second day today due to landslides and shooting stone at Dalwas, where a portion of the road was washed away, a traffic police official told UNI today.
He said National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to remove the landslides and put through the highway. He said the NHAI had been able to rebuild a single track road where only light motor vehicles could pass last night. However, after some light vehicles were allowed to cross on trial bases, the road was again washed away after a heavy vehicle attempted to cross the damaged portion, he said adding road repair work was going on and it may be several more areas to put through the traffic.
However, he said due to overnight rain there was shooting stones and landslides at Penthal. The weather is also not favourable and efforts are being made to clear the landslides and other debris at Penthal to allow traffic.
However, he said, only stranded vehicles would be allowed to move towards their respective destinations before allowing fresh traffic on the highway. Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks carrying essentials, oil and gas tankers besides passengers are stranded at Chenani, Udhampur and other places in Jammu region. Similarly, vehicles loaded with essentials, empty oil tankers and trucks are stranded on this side of the Jawahar tunnel. Truckers and passengers, stranded since Tuesday alleged that due to closure of the hotels and other restaurants they are not getting anything to eat.
Passenger traffic remained suspended on the highway since March 5 due to COVID-19. Passengers having valid travel permit issued by Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir were being allowed to move. However, thousands of outside workers are also brought to Kashmir valley in recent months.
This is the second time the highway was closed for any traffic movement due to landslides and shooting stones during the past about one week. Earlier, traffic was resumed on the highway August 22 after remaining suspended for two days.
Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region was also through for one-way traffic. Only trucks and other load carriers loaded with fresh fruit will ply from Shopian to another side of the Pir Ki Gali, a traffic official said adding no passenger traffic is allowed on the road, being considered alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway.
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