Kashmir highway remains closed for 5th day

Srinagar, Dec 9: The Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the fifth day today following the closure of the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to landslides and shooting of stones.

Meanwhile, additional flights are being operated between srinagar to Jammu for the passengers, mostly tourists from different states stranded after the highway, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was closed on December 5.

However, thousands of others, mostly labourers are waiting for reopening of the highway.

Official sources said despite dry weather for the past two days, landslides and shooting of stones continued in the Penthal area.

They said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) responsible for the maintainance of the highway have pressed into service additional labourers and sophisticated machines to clear the landslides between Ramban and Ramsu. However, continued shooting of stones from the top was delaying the reopening of the highway.

Sources said once the shooting of stones stops in the Penthal area, it will take few hours to make the highway traffic worthy. But the exact damage caused to the road due to landslides in the area could be known only once the BRO men reach there, they added.

Meanwhile, more than 3000 vehicles, mostly trucks loaded with essential commodities and fruits are stranded on the highway for the past six days as only one way traffic was allowed on December 4.

Truck drivers said if the road is not reopened early, fruits, vegetables and other items will get damaged resulting in loss of lakhs of Rupees.

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department has arranged boarding and lodging for the stranded tourists in different hotels here.

Efforts are being made to arrange additional flights for the tourists from srinagar to Jammu, director tourism Farooq Ahmad Shah told UNI.

He said yesterday a number of tourists left for Jammu in routine flights.

We are looking after the tourists since they are our guests, he said.

The district authorities in the Anantnag district have also made arrangments for the stranded people, mostly labourers from different states.

The stranded people are staying in different schools where they are being provided some eatables, officials said.

Despite a high level meeting chaired by the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) minister Taj Mohiuddin last eveing, there was acute shortage of gas and prices of other essential commodities have gone up money fold.

Mr Taj claimed that there was enough quota of gas cylinders for one month in the valley. However, majority gas dealers said that they have no stock. People alleged that a gas cylinder is being sold at Rs 370 in the black market by the dealers.

They also alleged that the prices of several essential commodity items have also gone up with the CAPD department remaining a mute spectator.

UNI