About 6000 passengers stranded on JK highway

Srinagar, Mar 22: The Kashmir Valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the 12th day today following the closure of the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to landslides and shooting of stones.

However, traffic was partially allowed on the highway on March 19 for about eight hours before it was again closed.

About 6000 passengers are stranded at Jammu and other points on the highway, the only road linking the Valley with the rest of the country.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (Traffic) Mohammad Amin Shah told sources the traffic on the highway remained suspended as landslides were being cleared.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, have pressed into service hundreds of workers and machines to clear the highway.

The DIG said another 1000 trucks loaded with different essential commodities will move to Srinagar while other 2000 were still waiting in Jammu.

The trucks and other passenger vehicles would be given marching orders after the green signal received from the BRO and traffic police posted at different points on the highway.

However, he said, priority will be given to those vehicles stranded on the highway over the last few days.

According to official sources about 6000 passengers continue to remain stranded at different points on the highway while another 4000 are stuck in Jammu. About 1000 vehicles, including those with passengers, are also stranded at different points on the highway.

Reports said the stranded passengers protested against the authorities for having allegedly failed to provide them with any relief.

UNI