Fresh snowfall on Kashmir highway, decision to allow traffic later

Srinagar: Fresh snowfall was experienced in different places on the 300--km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. However, decision to allow traffic on the highway would be taken only after reviewing the road and weather condition, a traffic police official told UNI. Traffic was to ply from Srinagar to Jammu today as per scheduled announced earlier, he said, adding that allowing vehicles to move towards Jammu will be taken after receiving report from traffic and Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, officials posted at different places.

He said fresh snowfall was experienced at Qazigund, Jawahar tunnel, Shaitan Nullah and other places since early this morning. It was snowing on both sides of the tunnel when reports last came in, he added. Since only one-way traffic is allowed on the highway till further orders to avoid any accident and traffic jam, today vehicles were to ply from Srinagar to Jammu. However, so far no vehicle was allowed to ply, he said, adding that traffic will be resumed once green signal is received.

Bahar Ahmad, a driver, was killed and another person was injured when a vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into deep gorge in Ramsu area last evening. There is a forecast for heavy to very heavy snowfall across the Kashmir valley, including on the highway till January 26. The historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region and national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir remained closed due to heavy snowfall. Both the roads will reopen only in summer. (UNI)