The 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for the fifth successive day on Tuesday. Senior Traffic Police officials said more than 1100 trucks carrying essential commodities to the Valley and those returning remained stranded on the arterial road due to multiple landslides. “As a result of multiple landslides and threat of further landslides, the highway remained closed for the fifth day today. Men and machinery are on the job to make the road travel-worthy,” an official said. As per a traffic advisory issued on Tuesday, the highway will continue to remain closed for traffic on Wednesday for any sort of traffic in view of the prediction for rain and snowfall in higher reaches. An official said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is working to clear the highway and make it motorable but rainfall and movement of rocks from adjacent hills have made the task difficult, the official added. “It would take some more time to clear the portion of the highway near the Battery Chasma area in Ramban district,” the official said. It may be mentioned that the highway has remained closed for more than 45 days since November, 2019 due to inclement weather.Frequent closure of the highway has caused a shortage of supplies in the Valley which is already reeling under the problems due to the prevailing situation owing to Covid-19.The Mughal Road connecting Shopian district to Pir Panchal and the Srinagar-Leh National Highway also remain closed for traffic due to accumulation of snow, the travel advisory said.Meanwhile, Meteorological Department has predicted a 2-day wet spell in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh beginning Tuesday night.Director MeT Sonam Lotus said fresh spell of intermittent light to moderate rain in plains and snowfall over higher reaches of J&K and Zojila, Drass and some areas of Zanskar region of Ladakh is most likely to occur during March 31 night to April 2 forenoon.
