Highway which connects Srinagar and Jammu, the 300 km long national highway remained closed for the third consecutive day due to continuous landslides and avalanches in the region and hundreds of vehicles, mostly trucks and oil tankers were left stranded at different places.
Meanwhile, the national highway which connects Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic Mughal road and other roads remained closed. On the national highway, the traffic movement remained suspended.
At several places between Ramban and Ramsu, there were landslides and shooting stones and there was a huge snow avalanche on the side of Jawahar Tunnel, which caused damage to one of the gates.
The maintainance of the highway is under the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) which has already taken men and sophisticated machines into service to clear the landslides and avalanche.
According to the forecast, there will be heavy snowfall during the next 48 hours and a warning is also issued by the divisional authorities that the surface and air traffic could get affected. No fresh vehicle to be allowed from Jammu and Srinagar untill all stranded vehicles are cleared.
It was requested to people to contact Traffic Control Units (TCUs) at Srinagar, Jammu and Ramban before starting the journey on the highway. The stranded vehicles on both the sides of the tunnel will be allowed to move towards their respective destinations before allowing fresh traffic from any side.
On the highways where truckers and others stranded have been stopped, they alleged that they are left high and dry due to non availability of eatables.
Due to accumulation of snow which has now frozen for the past about two months on the national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained closed.
At Sonamarg, Fresh snowfall was also received at Zojila pass, Zero point and Meenmarg on the highway. The road is likely to reopen in March or April.
The historic Mughal road which is 86 km long connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, received fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours.
Due to accumulation of snow and slippery road condition, the Anantnag, in south Kashmir, to Kishtwar in Jammu road remained closed for the past two months.