Srinagar, Feb 1: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the second consecutive day Friday due to fresh snowfall and landslides, officials said.
Due to fresh snowfall and landslides in Jawahar tunnel-Banihal-Ramban section and a landslide in Ramban stretch, the highway was closed for vehicular traffic, they said.
“There was fresh snowfall and also landslides on highway in Pantiyal-Battery Cheshma-Ramban sector. Restoration work at several places is going on despite shooting of stones at Battery Cheshma, Anokhi, Digdool and Pantiyal,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Suresh Sharma said.
Landslides at Battery Cheshma and Anokhi fall in the morning led to the blockage of the road, he said.Snowfall was continuing till afternoon in Banihal and Jawahar tunnel areas, Sharma said.
“No vehicle was allowed to move towards Kashmir valley from Nagrota traffic check post in Jammu,” a traffic police officer said.
The men and machinery of the Border Roads Organisation are working to clear the highway, he said.
According to the traffic department, “in view of the inclement weather as well as present road conditions, the stranded passengers are advised not to travel on NHW especially between Ramban to Qazigund. The stranded vehicles would be allowed to proceed towards their destinations once the road is cleared.”
“People are further advised to start their journey on NHW only after confirming status of the road from below mentioned phone Nos.”
The Mughal road, an alternative road connecting Kashmir’s Shopian district with Poonch district of the Jammu region, has been closed for over a fortnight due to snowfall, the official said.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway had reopened on Sunday after remaining closed for over six days following landslides and heavy snowfall along the nearly 280-kilometre-long stretch.
Inclement weather has led to the closure of the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway this winter many times.
Shortage of essential supplies is a natural fallout of the highway closure as all supplies to the landlocked Kashmir Valley are routed through the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
Kashmir received fresh snow on Friday even as the weather office forecast improvement from afternoon onwards.
Due to a cloud cover the minimum temperatures hovered around zero degree Celsius in the valley. Srinagar was at minus 0.5, Pahalgam minus 3.6 and Gulmarg minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.
Leh in Ladakh recorded minus 6, Kargil and Drass both were at minus 16.8 degrees Celsius.
Jammu 8.1, Katra 5.4, Batote minus 1.6, Bannihal minus 0.5 and Bhaderwah was at minus 0.4 degrees Celsius.
