Jammu-Srinagar highway opened for one-way traffic

Srinagar, March 10 (IANS) The Jammu-Srinagar highway was opened on Tuesday for one-way traffic after remaining closed for two days due to landslides and snowfall along the road.

"The Jammu-Srinagar highway has been opened for one-way traffic today (Tuesday)," a senior traffic official told IANS here.

"Vehicles will move from Jammu to Srinagar but no vehicle will be allowed to move from the opposite direction," he said.

Landslides in Ramban district and snowfall in Banihal sector of the over 300-km-long road forced its closure on Sunday. The only road link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country remained shut for two days.

All essential supplies, including petroleum products, cooking gas and edibles are made available to the valley through the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Temporary closure of the road leads to hoarding and profiteering by traders in the valley.

With the improvement in the weather conditions, it is expected that the highway would soon be opened for two-way traffic.

Authorities of the state power development department (PDD) said on Tuesday over 70 percent of the electric supply has been restored till Monday evening in the valley.

"We are hopeful of restoring all our system and distribution by today (Tuesday) afternoon," a senior PDD engineer told IANS.

Inter-districts road connectivity has also been restored.

Season's heaviest snowfall during the last three days uprooted electric poles and triggered faults in the electric supply across the valley.

The weather office said Jammu and Kashmir is expected to have good weather during the next 15 days.