Traffic remains suspended on Srinagar to Jammu highway due to landslides

, a traffic police official said.

Meanwhile, fresh snowfall was experienced on the historic Mughal road and national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir, which remained closed since December last year due to slippery conditions and accumulation of snow.

Traffic remained suspended on 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway since last evening due to landslides at several places, particularly at Maroog Ramban, a traffic police official told UNI.

He said the Border Roads Organisation(BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has pressed into service sophisticated machine and men to put through the highway. Due to bad weather, landslide clearance operation was being hampered. Traffic will be allowed to move towards their respective destinations only after receiving green signal from the traffic police officials and BRO.

However, the authorities have also issued fresh avalanche warning this evening on the highway during the next 24 hours. Passengers and truckers are advised to confirm the road condition before starting their journey on the highway on Sunday.

Meanwhile, large number of Kashmir-bound vehicles, particularly trucks carrying essentials and oil tankers, are stranded on the highway.

Majority of the vehicles, which left Jammu Saturday, have reached Kashmir valley as the landslides occurred in the evening, he said, adding that once the highway is put through, stranded vehicles will be allowed to move towards their respective destinations before allowing fresh traffic.

However, only one way traffic will continue till further orders as road widening at several places was going on and there was also threat of landslides, he said.

He said people are requested to contact Traffic Control Units (TCUs) set up at several places, including Srinagar, Jammu and Ramban before starting journey on the highway. People are also requested not to park their vehicles at avalanche and landslide prone areas on the highway.

Meanwhile, the highway, connecting Ladakh with Kashmir also remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions, particularly between Sonamarg-Zojila-Meenmarg. There was also fresh snowfall at several places on the highway.

The 86-km-long historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region also remained closed due to accumulation of snow. The road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway, will reopen in April-May only.