The historic 86-km-long Mughal road remained closed for the 24 the consecutive day Sunday as vehicles plied on the Srinagar-Jammu highway despite slippery conditions.
Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only while Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) from both sides on Sunday, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
He said the Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained closed though massive snow clearance operations had been launched from both sides of the Pir-ki-Gali.
However, recent several feet fresh snowfall besides avalanches on the highway, snow clearance operation had been hampered, he said. Traffic will be resumed only after receiving green signal that snow clearance operation is over and there is no threat of avalanches on the road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway. The government has sanctioned a tunnel to make it all weather road.
Meanwhile, large number of Jammu bound bakerwals alongwith their live stock are stranded at different places on Shopian. These bakerwals are staying in Kashmir during the summer and leave for Jammu before the onset on winter.
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway frequently remained closed due to landslides and shooting stones, particularly between Ramban and Ramsu besides snow on this side of the Jawhar tunnel.
Today LMVs will ply from both Srinagar and Jammu sides, traffic police official said. He said HMVs, including those carrying essentials, besides oil tankers will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only. No HMV will be allowed from opposite direction, he said adding vehicles will have to cross Qazigund in Kashmir and Nagrota in Jammu before the deadline.
However, before starting the journey on the highway, people are requested to contact Traffic Control Units (TCUs) at Srinagar, Jammu and Ramban, he said.