Srinagar, Oct 2 : The 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed on Friday to allow repair work on the only road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
However, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road and Srinagar-Leh national highway, linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, are through for traffic, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
He said that keeping in view the maintenance and repair of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, no traffic was allowed on Friday from both sides.
Due to landslides and shooting stones, the road at several places had become very narrow where only one vehicle can pass. However, no traffic was allowed today to allow National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and other agencies to repair the road and convert the single-way crossing into double way for free movement of vehicles from both sides.
People living on both sides of the highway, particularly between Banihal to Ramban, alleged that they fear acute environment disaster since the NHAI and other agencies have started work on four-laning of the highway.
They alleged that the agencies are dumping the waste into river Chenab badly impacting water flow in the river. They further alleged that their houses were also damaged due to blasting and other works on the highway.
Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to agencies working on the highway, district administration and Pollution Control Board (PCB) for causing damage to environment in the area.
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