Kashmir valley remains cut off for third day today

Srinagar, Dec 7 (UNI) The Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the third day today after the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed due to landslides and shooting of stones, triggered by heavy rains.

The closure of the highway, only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, has led to a price rise of almost all the essential commodities.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway has pressed into serive more than 250 labourers and about a dozen machines to clear the landslides triggered by the continued heavy rains between Ramban and Ramsu.

Heavy rains during the past 24 hours had triggered more landslides and there was also threat of shooting of stones, forcing authorities to declare the highway unsafe for travel, official sources said.

They said the BRO personnel are working round the clock to make the highway safe for undertaking the journey. If weather improves and there is no fresh rains the BRO will be able to clear the landslides, the sources added.

They said that hundreds of vehicles, mostly trucks loaded with essential commodities and fruits are stranded on either side of the highway.

The stranded vehicles would be allowed to move towards their respective destinations after the BRO clears the highway.

No vehicle was allowed to move from Srinagar or Jammu this morning, a traffic police official said.

Truck drivers stranded at different points on the highway alleged that authorities have failed to provide them any facility and check the price rise of the essential commodities.

A cup of tea costs Rs 7 to Rs 10, a truck driver Gurnam Singh said adding similarly the cost of other eatables has gone up on the highway. There is no check from anybody and police personnel deployed there are getting their share from the hotel owners, he alleged.

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