J-K Highway likely to be opened on Wednesday

The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which remained closed for the third day today due to heavy snowfall, is likely to be open by Wednesday, an official spokesman said.

The assurance was given by the Border Roads Organisation to Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Hassan Samoon who was on a visit to Qazigund, 80 kms from here, the spokesman said.

Samoon along with Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Kifayat Hussain Rizvi and Deputy Inspector General of police, Traffic, Vijay Kumar visited the highway town to oversee the snow clearance operation.

The spokesman said that Samoon directed the BRO, which maintains the 294km road link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, to speed up the snow clearance operation.

BRO assured Samoon that by Wednesday late evening the highway would be cleared of snow.

The highway was closed for traffic on Sunday after the Valley experienced heavy snowfall.

The spokesman said the divisional commissioner directed that no passenger vehicles should be allowed on the road from either side till the stranded trucks en route are cleared.

"Moreover, priority will be given to the trucks carrying supplies from Jammu towards the Valley, especially the cooking gas," he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesman said a rescue team evacuated around 300 drivers and conductors, who were stranded in 150 trucks at Zig near Lower Munda, Qazigund.

The step was taken as the disaster management had issued a medium danger avalanche warning in the area, the spokesman said.

"As a precautionary measure the drivers were moved to safer locations on Monday evening," the spokesman added.

Click here for Rediff Realtime News!