Kashmir highway remains closed for 4th day

Srinagar, Dec 8: Thousands remain stranded as the Kashmir valleycontinues to be cut off from the rest of the country for the fourth daytoday after the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway closed dueto avalanches.

However, all flights operated normally.

A traffic police official said the Border Roads Organisation(BRO), responsible for the maintainance of the highway, has beenpressed into service.

Fresh rains had triggered more landslides in the Penthal area andefforts are on to clear them, he said, adding no more vehicles wereallowed to leave Srinagar or Jammu this morning.

He said the stranded vehicles would be allowed to move once the landslides are removed.

Official sources said thousands of passengers, including touristsfrom Maharashtra and other states, besides labourers and other workersfrom Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Nepal and Uttar Pradesh are stranded atdifferent places on the highway.

The District Administration at Anantnag has made arrangments for the stranded passengers in different schools.

Officials said that stranded passengers were being provided food and other essentials at Qazigund.

However, the Tourism Department has decided to bring the tourists back to Srinagar from Qazigund till the road is reopened.

"We had to made our own arrangments for stay and food as theauthorities failed to came to our rescue, Maharashtra tourists saidadding that they are now left with no money".

The Government should make arrangments for our airlift to Jammu, they demanded.

Similarly hundreds of trucks loaded with essential commodities andfruits are stranded on either side of the highway. Reports said thatthere are several vehicles carrying passengers stranded on the otherside of the Jawahar tunnel. However, about 40 passengers negotiated thelandslide prone area on foot and reached Banihal, they said.

Meanwhile, the blockage has led to shortage of gas, vegetables and other items.

Despite tall claims by the authorities a gas cylinder is beingsold at Rs 370 in the black market while costs of all vegetables hadincreased many fold.

UNI