Heavy rainfall followed by shooting stones on Monday forced the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, with authorities suspending all traffic along the route.
Traffic department officials said vehicular movement has been halted after shooting stones were reported at several locations, making travel unsafe. “The Jammu-Srinagar highway is closed due to shooting stones at multiple places. All types of vehicular movement have been stopped as a safety measure,” an official stated.
Officials added that continuous rainfall has worsened conditions along the highway. “There is heavy rainfall across the entire route, which has increased the risk of shooting stones,” they said. Commuters have been advised to avoid travel until clearance operations are completed and weather conditions improve.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is the only all-weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country. However, frequent closures due to landslides and shooting stones during the monsoon and winter months often disrupt travel and the movement of essential supplies.
The challenges of these closures have been mitigated to some extent with the introduction of the Vande Bharat train service, providing passengers with an alternative means of transport during highway disruptions.
The commencement of freight train operations is also expected to ease shortages of essential commodities in the Valley. One goods train has already successfully carried cement to Kashmir, and with regular freight movement set to begin soon, dependence on road transport for supplies is likely to reduce significantly.
(IANS)