Kashmir highway through for one-way traffic

Srinagar: Despite intermittent rain during the night, the highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country was through for one-way traffic and vehicles will ply on Friday from Srinagar to Jammu.

The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway, and Anantnag-Kishtwar road remained closed since November last year though snow clearance operation has also been started.

“Today, we allowed one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu only and no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction,”a traffic police official said.

However, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Levdora Qazigund between 0600 hrs to 0900 hrs, adding that the Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed later up to 1700 hrs from Zig Qazigund towards Jammu.

He said intermittent landslides and shooting stones on the highway have become a routine.

However, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) have deployed sophisticated machines and men to clear landslides and shooting stones.

Only one-way traffic is allowed on the highway for the past two years since work has been started to convert it into four-lane which often result in landslides and shooting stones between Ramban and Ramsu.

However, allowing only one-way, coupled with intermittent closure of the highway due to landslides and banning of civilian traffic movement twice in a week on Sunday and Wednesday often result in shortage of essentials, particularly vegetables, meat, chicken.

Due to shortage of supply, prices of essentials has witnessed sharp increase in the valley.

Snow clearance operation on Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region and Anantnag-Kishtwar was going on a war footing to put through traffic which was suspended in November last year to accumulation of snow.