news details |
|
|
| Srgr-Leh highway officially declared closed for winters | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 30: The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway was closed for winter due to heavy snowfall and slippery road, while weather condition has improved in the Kashmir Valley where the minimum was recorded at 2.3 degrees Celsius, two degree above normal this morning.
However, Kokernag was the coldest in the Valley where the minimum was minus 2 degree while people in Ladakh region continued to shiver due to below freezing temperature.
"We have put a total ban on any traffic movement on the Srinagar-Leh national highway, life line to Ladakh region, because of slippery road conditions and heavy snowfall, official sources told UNI here.
The sources said due to minus temperature, snow on the highway from Sonmarg to Matayan got freezed during the night, making the traffic movement impossible. The freezing snow did not melt even during the day when the temperature remained low.
The highway was to close on November 1 for winter months.
However, due to dry weather, it was decided to allow traffic movement on the highway till weather permitted.
However, on November 10, there was heavy snowfall, forcing the authorities to close the highway from both sides.
But after putting all resources together, BEACON and civil administration reopened the highway and cleared all vehicles stranded on both sides of the Zojila pass. About 1250 passengers stranded at Kargil, Drass and Leh besides Srinagar were airlifted free of cost to their respective destinations.
Since the road has became very risky following slippery conditions and snow, it had been decided to close the highway for winter and would reopen it only next year, the sources said, adding that section 144 was imposed in the dangerous zone of the highway to thwart any attempt by anybody to travel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
