- Continuous blockade of road causes shortage of essentials, vegetables in Valley
- Hundreds of oil tankers, trucks stranded on highway
- Stranded LMVs cleared; Officials say no fresh traffic today
After remaining closed for a week, Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road link connecting Valley with rest of the world, was partially opened for Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) on Tuesday and authorities allowed Srinagar-bound traffic.
SSP Traffic (Rural), Aijaz Ahmad Bhat told Kashmir Post that a portion of the road was cleared for traffic.
“The light Motor vehicles were allowed to move towards Srinagar from Jammu,” he said.
Bhat said heavy landslides had hit the highway at Ramban and Ramsoo areas and the restoration work is going on to fully make the highway traffic worthy.
He said no fresh landslide occurred today.
He said once the condition of road improves, the traffic will be fully restored on the highway.
According to sources, hundreds of heavy vehicles including trucks with essential supplies, oil tankers and passenger buses are stranded at different places on the highway.
400 trucks of with Food Corporation of India (FCI) loaded with rice and wheat are stranded on the highway, said an FCI official, Ramesh Chand Meena.
The highway was closed for vehicular traffic on March 8 following heavy rains and downpour and landslides at many places in Banihal and Ramban sectors.
On Sunday, the road was partially opened but was again closed after fresh landslides, which damaged portion of road in Panthal area.
The closure of highway has caused shortage of essentials, vegetables, fruits and medicines in the Valley.
At Valley’s Parimpora fruit and vegetable market, the stock of vegetables has started to diminish.
“Only potatoes are available now while other vegetables are fast disappearing as the fresh stock is yet to arrive here,” said President Parimpora Mandi, Bashir Ahmad Bashir.
He said about 150 trucks loaded with vegetables are stranded on the highway. “The vegetables would have started to perish now”.
Manager of HP Gas Plant Pampore, Prince Singh, said, “Only 80 metric tonnes of petroleum gas was available at the plant and 83 of their tankers were stranded on the highway.”
However, Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Kashmir, Tasaduq Jeelani, said there was no shortage of essentials in Kashmir.
“We have enough stock of rice, wheat and gas in the Valley. It would last for two months,” he said.
According to Jeelani about 207 Oil tankers of Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Gas were heading towards Srinagar.
Meanwhile, about 100 passengers covered the journey from Ramban and Ramsu on foot to reach their destinations.
A youth, Showket Parray posted a video on Facebook and narrated the nightmare he faced along with other passengers while crossing the landslide hit-zones on the highway.
“You can see the condition of the road. We were stranded for 6 days in Jammu and then 5 days on the highway. All passengers including children and women are taking the journey by foot. There is no arrangement and the government is in slumber,” Showkat said in the video message.
