Sunday 19th Apr, 2026
Kashmir remain cut off for the 2nd day, Leh and Mughal roads remain shut
Srinagar, Feb 7:(UNI) The Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second day on Thursday due landslides and shooting stones, triggered by heavy snowfall and rain on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh region remained cut off from Kashmir since December last year as the Srinagar-Leh national highway remained closed due to accumulation of snow while historic 86-km-long historic Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads remained shut due to accumulation of several feet of snow and slippery road conditions.
It was snowing heavily on both sides of the jawahar tunnel, Shaitan Nallah, Banihal and Qazigund on Thursday morning and there were fresh landslides between Ramban and Ramsu due to which the Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the second day today, a traffic police official told UNI.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway are working round the clock to make highway traffic worthy. However, he said, frequent landslides and shooting stones, particularly at Penthal, Anokhi Fall and Battery Cheshma badly hamper operation. Majority landslides and shooting stones were cleared on the highway but before the road could be put through there were fresh landslides at several places on Wednesday when traffic was to ply from Kashmir to Jammu. However, all Jammu bound traffic was stopped at Qazigund and other places on this side of the tunnel. Passenger vehicles who left different parts of the valley, including Srinagar, have been stopped at Qazigund, he said adding some of them have returned to their homes as landslides and shooting stones continued throughout the day yesterday.
There was fresh snowfall and landslides with the result traffic could not restored even on Thursday also, he said.
There is a forecast for heavy to very heavy snow and rain during the next 24 hours which could affect traffic movement on the highway again, official sources said. The road has become very unpredictable as nobody known when landslides and shooting stones would occur. But, they said, the NHAI and BRO are working immediately to clear the road and put through the highway.
The prices of essentials, particularly vegetables, chicken and other daily consumable items has already witnessed steep rise. Majority meat shops remained closed as Kashmir valley, totally dependent on imports from different states, particularly Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan.
The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir also remained closed since December last year. There was fresh snowfall on the highway, particularly between Sonamarg-Zojila pass-Zero point-Meenmarg, which was already under several feet of snow.
Fresh snowfall was also received on historic 86-km-long Shopian in south Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region. The road is also closed since December last year due to accumulation of several feet snow and slippery road conditions.The Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed for the past over two months.