Despite snow, traffic resumes on Kashmir highway, Mughal road shut

Srinagar: Despite fresh snowfall traffic was on Monday resumed on the national highway, the only road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, after remaining suspended from Sunday afternoon due to landslides, triggered by rain.
The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, linking the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, was also through for one-way traffic.
However, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road remained closed due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.
Traffic on 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was suspended on Sunday afternoon due to landslides, triggered by rain at Chanderkote. About a thousand vehicles, including those carrying passengers, got stranded, official sources told UNI.
However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) immediately put into service sophisticated machines and men. The landslides were cleared at around 2000 hrs last night and stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards Kashmir.
But, they said, due to fresh snowfall on both sides of Jawahar tunnel, vehicles were again stopped as precautionary measure to prevent any accident. About four inches to five inches of snowfall was recorded at tunnel till early this morning, they said adding despite continued snowfall BRO launched the operation and cleared the accumulated snow on the road.
They said more than 250 stranded vehicles had cross tunnel till 1000 hrs towards Kashmir and more vehicles, including those carry essentials are on way.
There was again landslides at Chanderkote this morning and BRO and NHAI are on job to put through again the highway, they said adding once the landslides are cleared stranded Kashmir bound vehicles at different places on other side of the Chanderkote will be allowed to move.
Fresh vehicles will be allowed only after all stranded vehicles are cleared, sources said.
A police spokesman said that as per normal schedule Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) were to ply from Srinagar to Jammu and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) from Jakheni Udhampur to Kashmir.
He said security forces are also requested not to violate schedule and ply from Jammu towards Kashmir.
He said the Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region remained closed due to accumulation of snow and slippery road condition for the past three weeks. There was fresh snowfall since last night on the road, which is seen alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The road remained closed for winter months due to snow every year.
Only one-way traffic is allowed on Srinagar-Leh national highway despite snow on the road, particularly at Zojila pass. Today vehicles will ply from Srinagar to Leh between 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs, he said adding vehicles may carry anti skid chain to gain more grip on the slippery road.