Highway closed on 6th straight day

Srinagar, Jan 26: The Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only road link connecting Kashmir to the rest of the world, remained closed for the 6th consecutive day on Saturday stranding thousands of Kashmir-bound passengers in Jammu and over 1500 vehicles on the road.
“Shooting stones continue at many places in the Ramban district. Landslides again hit the highway in Gagroo, Anokhi Fall and Battery Chashma area even as debris clearance operations were underway,” a traffic department official said.
Two policemen, including a junior officer were injured by shooting stones on Friday.
For the safety of passengers it has been decided not to allow traffic on the highway, the official added.
Over1500 trucks, most of them carrying essentials to the Kashmir Valley have been stranded at various places on the highway.
Stranded passengers here in the Jammu and Kashmir capital have appealed to the government to arrange for airlifting them.
J&K Traffic Police, on its official Twitter handle, updated on Saturday evening: “Movement disrupted continuously for 6th day due to frequently shooting stones/landslides occurred in Ramban- Banihal stretch on Jammu Srinagar NHW. Therefore tomorrow on 27.01.19 only stranded vehicles shall be allowed after assessing weather/clearance road.”
Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir for the next four days.
“Weather is likely to remain dry in the state during the next four days,” an official of the Met Department said.
Despite the forecast, minimum temperatures remained below freezing point in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday.
Srinagar city recorded minus 1.8 degrees Celsius while Pahalgam and Gulmarg recorded minus 9.7 and minus 14.0 respectively.
Leh town had minus 16.5 degrees Celsius, Kargil minus 20.6 while Drass town at minus 27.5 was the coldest place in the state.
Jammu city recorded 3.7 degrees Celsius, Katra 3.2, Batote minus 3.0, Bannihal minus 6.5 and Bhaderwah minus 1.0 as minimum temperature.