Slippery conditions, mudslides close Jmu-Sgr nat’l highway too
Srinagar: The Mughal Road was closed for vehicular traffic on Saturday following fresh snowfall in the higher reaches, including Peer Ki Gali, along the alternative route connecting Jammu’s Poonch and Rajouri districts to south Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said.
More than six inches of fresh snow has been recorded at the 11,433-feet high Peer Ki Gali, also known as the Pir Panjal pass, on the Mughal Road, prompting authorities to suspend vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure, they said.
It is still snowing from Dubjan to Peer Ki Gali, a distance of 45 kilometres, and there is apprehension of landslides and shooting stones from the hillock overlooking the road, they said.
No vehicular traffic will be allowed on the road till the weather improves and the road is cleared, the officials said.
The weather office has predicted wet weather till April 30, with moderate to heavy rainfall in the plains and light snowfall in high-altitude areas.
A Traffic department official said the 270-kilometre Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was lashed by moderate to heavy rains, resulting in mudslides at several places, including Dalwas, Mahar, Gangroo and Hingani in Ramban district.
He said the slippery conditions at Dalwas, Mehar and Hingani besides road shrinking due to mudslide at Dalwas prompted authorities to close the highway for vehicular movement.
He advised commuters to avoid travel on the highway and seek proper road status from Traffic Control Units of Ramban and Udhampur before starting the journey.
“Weather raining on NH-44, slippery conditions of the road at Dalwas, Mehar, Hingani. At Dalwas mudslide has shrunken the road. Commuters are requested to avoid travel on NH-44 or seek road status from TCU Ramban/Udhampur before starting their journey,” IGP Traffic said.
