Srinagar, Mar 2:
No fresh Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) will be allowed as only Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) would ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Tuesday on the national highway, the only road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. However, HMVs stranded between Nashree and Ramban will be allowed to move towards Srinagar today, a traffic police official said. The national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir also remained closed though the Beacon authorities have put into service sophisticated machines to clear the snow and avalanches between Sonamarg and Zojila pass. The historic 86-km-long Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed since December last year due to the accumulation of snow. Traffic official said that only one-way traffic will continue to ply on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway to avoid any traffic jam and accidents. Today LMVs will ply from Jammu to Srinagar, he said adding vehicles had to cross Nagrota between 0500 hrs to 1200 hrs and Jakheni Udhampur between 0600 hrs to 1300 hrs. No vehicle will be allowed after cut off timing, he said. He said no fresh HMV will be allowed to ply on the highway from Jammu or Srinagar. However, HMVs stranded on the highway between Nashree and Ramban will be allowed to move towards Srinagar, he added and said no vehicle will be allowed from the opposite direction. Security forces are advised not to ply against the traffic schedule on the highway in view of traffic congestion. They are requested to ply from Jammu towards Srinagar. The snow clearance operation was going on a war footing on Srinagar-Leh national highway which was closed hours after it was declared open on Sunday due to fresh snowfall and avalanches between Sonamarg and Zojila pass. The highway remained closed since January Ist due to the accumulation of heavy snow. However, the Beacon project cleared the snow one a half a month earlier this time. But there was fresh snowfall on Sunday on the highway.
The historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region also remained closed since December last year due to the accumulation of snow.
