Mughal Road closed; Sgr-Jmu NH open

Rajouri / Ramban, Dec 17: The movement of vehicles on the Mughal Road continued to remain closed for the second consecutive day on Sunday even as the Mechanical Engineering Department cleared accumulated snow but severe frosty and slippery conditions on the road made the road unfit for the movement of vehicles. Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles.

Traffic Police said that if weather remains fair the restoration of the Mughal Road for the movement of vehicles was expected on Monday.

The road connecting the Poonch district of Jammu province with Shopian of Kashmir was closed on Saturday early morning after fresh snowfall, especially in the area near Pir Ki Gali.

For the second consecutive day on Sunday, the road passing through the mountainous Pir Panjal region remained closed to the movement of all kinds of vehicles.

Officials said that the Mechanical Engineering Department, having a mandate of snow clearance on the road, carried out a snow clearance operation on the road and completed it on Sunday evening.

However, the road could not be restored for traffic due to severe slippery conditions as frost spread all over the stretch.

DTI Traffic Police on Mughal Road, Kapil Manhas told Greater Kashmir that snow had been cleared from the road but it remained closed due to slippery conditions caused by the frosty surface.

“The road will be restored on Monday as we expect reduced frosty surface on Monday amid fair weather conditions,” he said.

Manhas said that a light goods carrier was stuck on the road which was towed and brought out of the Mughal Road.

“No man was there with the vehicle,” he said.

Meanwhile, traffic authorities said that the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open but the traffic movement remained slow due to the breakdown of heavy vehicles and single road stretches at Dalwass, Mehar-Cafeteria, Magarkote, Nachlana and at other places due to poor road surface condition between Nashri and Banihal tunnels.

Traffic officials in Ramban said that hundreds of LMVs and heavy vehicles crossed the Nashri and Banihal tunnels till late Sunday evening.

They said that the highway was open and vehicles were heading towards their respective destinations in Kashmir and Jammu in a regulated manner.

Meanwhile, the J&K Traffic Department issued a fresh advisory for Monday stating that subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs and heavy vehicles would be allowed to ply on both sides of the highway.

However, passenger vehicle operators have been advised to prefer journeys on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway only during the daytime and avoid journeys during the night due to apprehension of shooting stones between Ramban and Banihal.

They advised the commuters to undertake journeys on the highway only after confirming the status of the road from the Traffic Control Units of Jammu, Srinagar, and Ramban.

BY SUMIT BHAGRAV AND M M PARVAIZ