Seasonal closure of Mughal Road revives calls for all-weather connectivity
Shopian, Nov 2: As winter sets in, the 84-kilometre Mughal Road that links Shopian in south Kashmir with Poonch in Jammu is once again on the verge of closure. Heavy snowfall at Peer Ki Gali, the mountain pass situated at an altitude of over 11,000 feet, is expected to cut off the route for nearly five months—disrupting travel, trade, and daily life across the Pir Panjal region.
The closure, which typically lasts from December to April, has become an annual reminder of Kashmir’s fragile road connectivity. Each winter, it sparks renewed calls to make the Mughal Road an all-weather alternative to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), which remains vulnerable to frequent landslides and prolonged closures.
Earlier this September, when NH-44 was shut for weeks due to heavy landslides and shooting stones, the Mughal Road briefly emerged as a vital lifeline. Convoys of fruit-laden trucks and goods carriers crossed the Pir Panjal to reach Jammu and markets beyond, helping apple growers avert significant losses during the peak harvest season.
“The Mughal Road has proved its worth every time the main highway gets blocked,” said Mitha Gatoo, a social activist from Shopian. “It’s not just a scenic route—it’s an economic lifeline for south Kashmir.”
But as temperatures dip and snow begins to accumulate at Peer Ki Gali, residents, traders, and students on both sides of the mountain brace for another stretch of isolation. For apple growers, the timing is particularly painful.
“The road stays open only half the year, yet it supports thousands of livelihoods,” Gatoo said.
“Once it shuts, transport costs rise sharply and produce often goes to waste.”
In June, the central government approved the construction of a tunnel at Peer Ki Gali to ensure year-round connectivity. The project, estimated to cost around Rs 3,830 crore, is being implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL).
Rodic Consultants Pvt Ltd, in collaboration with Spain’s Getinsa-Euroestudios, prepared the detailed project report for the widening of the Mughal Road, while Samit Pvt Ltd drafted the plan for the proposed tunnel, which could cost up to Rs 5,000 crore. The project has since been handed over to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and officials say preliminary work is underway.
Once completed, the tunnel is expected to cut travel time significantly and provide a dependable all-weather link between Kashmir and Jammu, even during heavy snowfall.
Until then, however, the cycle continues. As the first snowflakes touch Peer Ki Gali, the Mughal Road will fall silent once again—its closure a yearly reminder of the region’s dependence on fragile mountain routes.
“Its closure symbolises Kashmir’s incomplete connectivity and the long wait for a permanent solution,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a fruit trader from Shopian.
