434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway to close for 6 months from tomorrow

Srinagar, Nov 14 (UNI) The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway will remain closed for six winter months from tomorrow, a traffic police official said here today.

The Bandipora-Gurez road in north Kashmir has, however, been closed for traffic for winters.

The official told UNI here that the Srinagar-Leh highway would be closed for six winter months officially from tomorrow.

Though there was no snowfall on the highway so far but officially it will remain closed, he said, adding the traffic police officials posted on the highway would be withdrawn tomorrow.

Last year more than a dozen vehicles loaded with essential commodities, who were operating illegally after the road was closed officially, got stranded on the highway because of sudden snowfall.

The vehicles were later recovered in April this year after the snow melted. Two teachers and few labourers were also killed after they were buried under snow avalanches in December last year on the highway.

Meanwhile, the authorities have stored all essential commodities, including rice, atta, sugar, kerosene oil, gas and medicine in Leh and Kargil and other remote and far flung areas in the Ladakh region for six winter months.

UNI