Srinagar-Jammu national highway closed due to snowfall, landslides

SRINAGAR –  Srinagar-Jammu National highway was closed for vehicular traffic following fresh landslides, shooting of stones and snow accumulation at Qazigund tunnel, officials said on Saturday.Meanwhile, the flight operation at Srinagar International Airport was normal and all scheduled flights took off from the runway to their respective destinations, an official of the airport said.

Trains also chugged on Nowgam-to Baramulla and Nowgam-Qazigund tracks normally, a railway traffic control room official said.

The National highway was closed for vehicular movement due to fresh snowfall at NAVYUG tunnel at Qazigund area, rain and shooting of stones at Mehar, Cafeteria road, Panthal on Banihal-Ramban stretch from Jammu side, a traffic department official said.

“Jammu-Srinagar National highway closed for vehicular movement due to landslides, shooting stones at many places and snow accumulation around the NAVYUG Tunnel”, a traffic police tweet said.

Border Roads Organization has pressed into service men and machines to remove the landslides and accumulated snow from the highway at different places to make it traffic worthy, they said.

The Traffic police has issued an advisory for the people before undertaking the journey on NHW-44 only confirming the status of the road from traffic control units of Srinagar and Jammu.

Many far-flung roads including Kupwara-Keran, Kupwara-Karnah, Machhil, Bandipora, and Gurez roads were also closed due to accumulation of fresh snowfall.