Kashmir highway reopens for one-way after 3 days closure

Srinagar, Jan 11: The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway reopened for one-way traffic today after remaining suspended for three days due to heavy snowfall and landslides.

A Beacon official told the sources that the road has been reopened after the snow and landslides on the highway were cleared. A traffic police official confirmed that the highway, the only road linking the valley with the rest of the country, was through for traffic. However, he said, only light vehicles from Srinagar to Jammu were allowed.

He said no decision was taken about heavy vehicles plying from Jammu to Srinagar. The road was closed after two feet to three feet of snowfall between Jawahar tunnel to Banihal and heavy rains in Ramban and Ramsu area. Heavy rains also triggered landslides at Penthal, killing a footballer from here on January 9 afternoon when he was hit by a shooting stone.

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

Hundreds of vehicles, mostly trucks loaded with essential commodities are stranded on the highway for the past three days, leading to shortage of mutton and price rise of other essential commodities.

UNI