A landslide blockedthe strategic Jammu-Srinagar Highway in Ramban district on Monday as thehigh-altitude areas experienced fresh snowfall, while the plains were lashed byrains, officials said.
The landslidestruck the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with therest of the world, at Kharpora near Banihal around 1.40 pm, forcing suspensionof traffic which was plying from Srinagar to Jammu, they said.
Despite incessantrains, they said the concerned agency pressed men and machines to remove thedebris from the road to make it traffic worthy once again.
“The clearanceoperation is underway and the road is expected to be made operational withinthe next couple of hours,” an official of the Traffic Department said.
The traffic on thehighway plies alternatively from the twin capital cities owing to the ongoingfour-lane project.
The officials saidthe peripheral areas of Banihal, including the Jawahar Tunnel – the gateway toKashmir, besides several other high-altitude areas including the famous skiresort of Patnitop and Kud witnessed fresh snowfall, engulfing the region inrenewed cold.
The winter capitalJammu and other plains were also lashed by rains since Monday morning,resulting in considerable drop in the mercury.