Kashmir remains cut off from rest of the country for the 3rd day

However, about 130 vehicles, including those carrying passengers, stranded at Banihal, were allowed to move towards Kashmir after the snow on the road was cleared last evening.

Traffic on the 86-km-long historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region also remained suspended due to snowfall.

Meanwhile, the national highway that links Ladakh region with Kashmir, has been closed for winter months.

Traffic remained suspended on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.

Vehicular movement on the highway was suspended on Monday afternoon following about one-to-one-and-half feet of snowfall at different places, particularly near Jawahar tunnel, Banihal, Qazigund and Shaitan Nallah.

There were landslides, triggered by rain at Penthal and other places between Rambanan Ramsu, he said.

However, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, have put into service sophisticated machines and men to restore the traffic on the road.

Stranded vehicles at Banihal were allowed to move towards Kashmir after snow was cleared at Jawhar tunnel and  other areas, he said, adding that efforts are being made to remove landslides on the highway on the other side of the tunnel.

According to the traffic police official, the vehicular movement will be restored only after receiving green signal from the traffic police posted at different places on the highway.

Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles, including trucks, were stuck on the highway.

All vehicles were removed from landslide prone areas on the highway to safer places, a senior traffic police official said.

However, the truckers and stranded passengers alleged that despite repeated claims regarding  all the arrangements to meet any weather challenge, they are without water and other facilities.

Good amount of snow was accumulated and it was still snowing at different places on the historic Mughal road, particularly at Pir-ki-Gali and Heepora Shopian, he said, adding that traffic will remain suspended.