| Srinagar-Leh highway remains closed due to landslide, snowfall | | | Agencies
SRINAGAR: The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway, connecting Ladakh with Kashmir valley, remained closed for the third successive day on Friday due to landslides and snowfall.
Only essential commodity vehicles were allowed on the highway last week after remaining shut for five months due to accumulation of several feet of snow.
”Traffic on Srinagar-Leh highway remained suspended for the third day due to landslides and intermittent snowfall since Wednesday,” a traffic police official said.
He said Beacon project, responsible for maintenance of the highway, has pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the snow and landslides from the highway. ”Once a green signal is received from traffic police and BRO officers, traffic will be allowed on the highway,” he further said.
The 434-km-long highway reopened on last Saturday after remaining closed for the past about five months due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions. However, only vehicles carrying essentials, including petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders, were allowed to ply on the highway.
He stated that no passenger vehicles would be allowed on the highway, where health checkup for truckers and their helpers — while going to Ladakh and the way back — has been made mandatory to curtail spread of Coronavirus. ”Only a driver and a helper would be allowed with a truck, carrying essential commodities to the Union Territory of Ladakh,” he further stated.
”Due to the sub-zero temperature, trucks are being allowed to move to Leh UT, from 1000 hrs onwards,” he said, adding each truck would carry only 11 tonnes of load on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, because of hilly, slippery terrain and weather vagaries.
Meanwhile, Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which connects Kashmir valley with rest of the country, was open for essential commodity vehicles |
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