Kashmir highway remains closed

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Srinagar, Dec 11 (UNI) The Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the 7th day today after the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed due to landslides and shooting of stones.

However, the highway was reopened for few hours on Saturday and Sunday and few hundred vehicle stranded were cleared.

Meanwhile, all the incoming and outgoing flights, including those carrying Haj pilgrims from the Jammu and Kashmir to Jeddah, operated normally.

The authorities have decided to allow Jammu to Srinagar traffic today after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) removed the landslides yesterday afternoon. Though, heavy rains again triggered landslides between Banihal and Ramban, particularly at Penthal.

Official sources said only few hundred vehicles including those carrying passengers from Jammu and trucks loaded with essential commodities were allowed to move towards Srinagar.

Traffic on the highway was again suspended because of landslides and shooting stones late last night.

No vehicle was allowed from Srinagar or Jammu this morning.

The BRO, responsible for the maintenance of the highway, have pressed into service about three hundred labourers and machines to make the highway, only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, traffic worthy.

Sources said more than 3000 vehicles, including the trucks loaded with essential commodities and fruits are stranded on the highway for the past seven days.

Stranded passengers were joined by the driver and conductors to protest against the authorities failure to make any arrangement for them at different points on the highway.

Hundreds of passengers, mostly labourers from different states, are stranded here.