Srinagar, Jan 11: Traffic on Srinagar-Jammu highway is still far from normal. Today 1300 vehicles including passenger buses and goods trucks were allowed to roll from Srinagar to Jammu, Inspector General of police (Traffic), HK Lohia told Greater Kashmir.
The 4-day blockade of the highway since last Saturday, due to inclement weather conditions, has led to shortage of several essentials including fuel, and goods in the Valley.
“We will allow only goods traffic from Jammu to Srinagar tomorrow,” Lohia said. At least 17 passenger vehicles which were halted near Banihal on the highway yesterday evening due to slippery road conditions were not allowed towards Srinagar even by late afternoon today.
Officials said the traffic problem is getting compounded due to slippery road and avalanche threats at many places.
“Traffic was stopped near Shatani Nallah for one hour after a small avalanche blocked the road,” Lohia said.
PASSENGERS STAGE PROTESTS
Muhammad Taskeen adds from Banihal: While the Srinagar-Jammu highway remained open for one-way vehicular movement throughout the day, the Srinagar bound passengers stranded at Nowgam area of Banihal attempted to disrupt traffic for not being allowed to proceed to their respective places.
The stranded passengers, who had left for Srinagar from Jammu Bus Stand on Monday afternoon, staged protests for their vehicles not being allowed to proceed towards Srinagar even on the third day.
However, protestors lifted the blockade after traffic officials assured them that they would be allowed to move later in the evening.
Around 100 light motor vehicles and 30 buses of Srinagar-bound passengers have been stopped by traffic authorities at Nowgam area since Tuesday evening.
The vehicular movement on the 300 km highway is being allowed from one side on alternate days due to extreme slippery condition on the road, while hundreds of vehicles are still stranded on both sides of the Jawahar tunnel. The traffic authorities today allowed the Jammu bound vehicles to cross the Jawahar tunnel.
“Vehicles of Border Security Force (BSF) were leading the convoy of vehicles including passenger vehicles, coming from Srinagar and they crossed the Jawahar tunnel at around 1.00 pm,” official sources said.
When the convoy reached near Nowgam around 5 kilometers from Jawahar tunnel, hundreds of Srinagar bound passengers stranded there since last evening, blocked the road and started raising slogans against the authorities. They criticized the authorities for not allowing their vehicles to move towards Srinagar.
Lambasting the administration, a stranded passenger Shakeel Ahmed said; “If they were not to be allowed to move onwards, then why the authorities let them leave Jammu Bus Stand. We are waiting for our turn since last three days. Firstly we were stopped at Udhampur, than Patnitop and now at Nowgam. We are spending these harsh nights in the vehicles. Many passengers, including children and old age passengers have fallen ill. It had been better for us to remain at Jammu Bus stand than spending nights here in this wilderness.”
The stranded passengers stopped the fleet of vehicles for few minutes but after the intervention of higher officials of traffic police they dispersed. The traffic police authorities assured the protesting passengers that they will be allowed to proceed towards Srinagar in the evening.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST