Planning a road trip to Kashmir? Jammu-srinagar NH closes after landslide, see alternative routes | Mobile News
Rajouri/Jammu: On Monday, the reopening of Mughal Road, as the landslide hit, closed for the second consecutive day, connected the bilateral border zone of Rajuri and Cham with the Shopian Shopian district in southern South Kashmir, bringing huge relief to those stranded.
Authorities have initially decided to limit traffic on the recently opened Mughal Road to one way – Kashmir to Jamu. However, the closure of the national highways around the clock has prompted traffic transfer and deployment of other police personnel to ensure smooth operation between the two sides.
Hundreds of vehicles were trapped on the strategic 250km of Chamu-srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country after heavy rains and cloud outbreaks triggered flash floods, with mountain flue pools and mudslides in the Lamban region.
The historic Mughal Road is usually reopened in one-way traffic on April 15 due to heavy snow in winter, especially in Peer ki Gali.
However, severe weather, including fresh snowfall, forced it to close on April 18. The Border Road Organization (BRO) mobilized its people and machinery and managed to make it worthy of traffic again.
The centre has announced a tunnel on the road to ensure year-round connectivity between the two areas on both sides of the Pir Panjal, which forms part of the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat after the demarcation movement in 2022.
Officials said large-scale traffic jams have been witnessed in the twin areas of Rajuri and Pornchi due to the sudden increase in the number of vehicles to and from the Kashmir Valley.
They say almost all the roads in Rajuri, associated with the Mughal Road, are severely choked and law enforcement agencies are facing tough times, especially in traffic from Tamandi, Surankote, Surankote and Chatta Pani to Peer Ki Gali.
They added that the road is single-lined several locations between Chatta Pandi and Peer Ki Gali, causing slow traffic movements. “We plan to do customs clearance operations tonight to expand the road, which is in the snow at various locations,” a brother official said.
Although the center announced the upgrade of the road and built a tunnel in 2023, political parties have been demanding that the project be completed on a war-based basis to provide alternative all-weather roads for the valley.
“We have asked the government to build a tunnel on the Mughal Road and build various amenities for travelers,” said Raqeeq Khan, a spokesman for the APNI Party.
He said the traffic had moved to Mughal Road, but the twin areas of Rajuri and Panchi were not ready for such a heavy rush.
He added that there is also a lack of facilities such as restaurants, hotels and public toilets along the way, which has caused inconvenience for commuters.
