Snow clearance up to Sonamarg completed

The snow clearance on 12 km Gagangeer-Sonamrag stretch of Srinagar-Leh highway has been completed, officials of border roads organisation (BRO) said on Sunday.

They said the work was started by the BRO in the first weekof March and has been completed. “The snow clearance work was hit by inclementweather and heavy accumulation of snow this year,” they said.

   

However the Srinagar-Sonamarg road which was closed inDecember last year due to heavy snowfall is still out of bounds for visitors asthere has been no decision taken yet to open the road for traffic.

“The snow clearance operation from Gagengar up toSonamarg has been completed, however there are still apprehensions of snowavalanches en route as the area witnessed heavy snow this year,” captainShubham Sood of BRO told Greater Kashmir.

He said any decision to allow the traffic on the road has tobe taken by the district administration.

“It is the civil administration that has to takedecision regarding allowing the vehicular movement up to Sonamarg afterreceiving green signal from the BRO,” he added.

Meanwhile, tourists who throng everyday here to visitSonamarg return disappointed as the road from Gagangeer to Sonamarg remainsclosed.

The authorities have erected barricades on Srinagar-Sonamargroad near Gagengar to stop any traffic movement on the road.

“We often come here to visit Sonamarg, but this timearound our vehicle was not allowed to move ahead from here,” Rakesh Mehra,a tourist said.

Apart from tourists, hoteliers and other local traders areeagerly waiting for the reopening of the Sonamarg road.

Talking to the Greater Kashmir sub divisional magistrate(SDM) Kangan Masarat Hashim said that no decision has yet been taken regardingthe opening of the Sonamarg road. “It will be taken after proper assessment ofthe road conditions within a week,” he said.

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