KO File Photo: Abid Bhat
Srinagar: Over 6000 vehicles, mostly trucks including those carrying essential commodities to the valley continue to remain stranded on Srinagar-Jammu highway, even as efforts are on to make the strategic surface link motorable.
According to the officials, with the improvement in the weather, agencies have pressed their men and machines to clear the highway of over a dozen landslides between Nashri to Ramsu.
Jawahar Tunnel, recorded over five feet of snow since Saturday and the Border Roads Organsiation (BRO), which is maintaining this stretch of the highway, has intensified its snow clearance operation, the officials said.
Over 6000 vehicles, mostly trucks including those carrying essential commodities to the valley, have been stranded at various locations along the highway.
“No traffic was allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway due to accumulation of snow and landslides at many places,” an official of the traffic control room said.
The road clearance operation is going on at a war footing to ensure early restoration of traffic on the highway which is blocked at over a dozen places including Samroli, Nashri, Dalwas, Peera, Chanderkote, Cafeteria Morh, Marog, Monkey Morh, Moompassi, Seeri, Kela Morh, Panthiyal, Sherbibi, Rattanbass and Ramsu, he said.
He said it is premature to say whether the road would be cleared by this evening.
Once the road is cleared, the preference would be given to stranded vehicles, he said, adding the traffic on the highway will remain restricted to one-way as per the already announced schedule in view of ongoing work on the four-laning project.
Mughal Road, which connects the valley to Jammu division through Shopian-Rajouri axis, has been closed for several days due to heavy snowfall in the region, officials said.
High Level Avalanche Warning Issued
Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (DMA) on Wednesday meanwhile issued High, Medium and Low level avalanche warning for higher reaches of avalanche prone areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
High danger level avalanche warning has been issued for higher reaches of Poonch, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and Kulgam districts, an official spokesperson said Wednesday.
Similarly, he said, medium level avalanche warning has been issued for higher reaches of Rajouri, Udhampur, Ganderbal and Reasi districts.
The advisory also asked people living in these areas to take precautions and avoid going to the vulnerable areas and to remove snow from their rooftops to avoid loss of lives.
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