Traffic resumes partially on J-K national highway

Srinagar, Mar 2 (UNI) Traffic was partially resumed today on the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway after being suspended for 10 days due to landslides and shooting of stones.

A traffic police official told UNI that stranded vehicles from Jammu were allowed to proceed towards Srinagar after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, repaired the damaged portion.

Almost all the stranded passengers' vehicles have crossed Penthal, the most troubled spot on the highway, till this afternoon, he said.

About 50 trucks loaded with essential commodities crossed the highway last evening.

The official said the decision to allow normal one-way traffic on the highway will be taken tomorrow morning, depending on weather conditions.

The highway, the only road connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was closed for traffic on January 21 following landslides and shooting of stones, triggered by heavy rains at Penthal. A major portion of the road was also washed away in the area, making the reopening task of the highway more difficult for the BRO, who had put into service hundreds of men and sophisticated machines to repair the road.

Several hundred people, including women, crossed Penthal on foot to reach Banihal.

However, the Indian Airforce and the Army pressed into service AN-32 and IL 76 to airlift the stranded passengers at Jammu and Srinagar on the request of state government.

The authorities claimed that more than 3000 stranded passengers were airlifted from Jammu.

However, majority of people, stranded at Jammu, alleged that only relatives of government employees, police personnel, political workers along with about two hundred locals were airlifted.

UNI