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| Avalanches hamper snow clearance on Srinagar-Leh highway | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 25: Fresh avalanches have hampered the snow clearance operation on the national highway connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir Valley, which remained closed for the fifth consecutive day on Monday.
The Beacon project personnel are on the job but frequent avalanches at several places and slippery road conditions had made snow clearance operation difficult, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rural Traffic Muzaffar Shah said on Monday.
He said over a dozen snow cutters and other sophisticated machines have been put into service to put through the highway. The snow clearance operation is likely to be completed by this evening provided there are no fresh avalanches, he added.
However, the snow gets frozen during the night when the minimum temperature drops to below freezing point with this, the road becomes slippery
The SSP denied the allegations that selectively certain truckers and others were rescued and taken to safer places from avalanche prone areas.
Snow clearance work on Mughal Road was started by Shopian Administration today. Additional DC Shopian Mohammad Saleem Malik was present on the spot to check, the work. Snow removal machine was pressed on service to clear the road
The District administration, police, Army and other agencies rescued the truckers and other passengers who had got struck in Zojila pass area on November 20.
Meanwhile, reports received from district headquarter Kargil in Ladakh region said that snow clearance operation from Drass side of the Zojila has been completed upto Zero Point. Now it is the Beacon authorities who have to clear snow from Sonamarg side in Kashmir.
Officials said that once the snow clearance operation is completed, trucks and other vehicles stranded in Zojila pass area will be allowed to move towards their respective destinations.
Mr Shah appealed to people to begin their journey on the highway only after getting latest report about the road condition from police and other agencies.
The highway, the only road connecting Ladakh with Kashmir, used to remain closed for six months during winter due to below freezing temperature and accumulation of snow since November 1 every year. However, for the past few years due to efforts of the local administration and different agencies of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), highway now remains open in the month of December also till there is heavy snowfall.
Earlier, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, was taking decision to close the highway for winter months. However, since Ladakh has now become an independent Union Territory (UT), decision to close or reopen the highway will have to be taken by administration in UT Ladakh and Kashmir. |
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