The Kashmir highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the world, was closed due to landslides, triggered by heavy rain overnight while the Srinagar-Leh too has been closed but historic Mughal is open for traffic.
“We have closed the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway following landslides in Ramban area due to heavy rain,” a traffic police official said.
officials sources said that traffic on Srinagar-Leh highway has been suspended after a landslide at Bajri nallah in Zojla area on Fridayas land slide at Bajri Nallah happened due to rains. According to official sources NHW 44 has been closed due to landslide in Ramban area and rainy weather in Qazigund area.
Mughal road is through from both sides for LMV’s & one way for HMV’s from Poonch-Rajouri to Shopian, they said.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has already put into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides and put through the highway.
Since it is still raining heavily in the area, the road clearance operation is hampered and more landslides are occurring, he said.
However, the authorities have already announced cut off time and vehicles have to cross the particular area before the deadline otherwise they will be stopped at safe and secure place for night halt in case road is not through.
He said traffic will be allowed only after a green signal is received from BRO and traffic police officials posted at different places, including Ramban.
Official sources said that hundreds of vehicles, including trucks are stranded at different places on the highway.
“By the time vehicles, carrying Amarnath pilgrims reach Ramban, we expect the road will be through for traffic,” they said.
Despite rain, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, was through for traffic.
