Snow clearing operations are going on at full swing on the Mughal Road, as the authorities, till Tuesday, have managed to clear the snow off 28 kilometer of the road from Surankote and 20 kilometer from Shopian.
Pertinently, Mughal Road, which acts as an alternate to Jammu-Srinagar highway by connecting Kashmir Valley with Jammu province, was closed in the second week of December due to heavy snowfall.
Assistant engineer of mechanical engineering department, Tariq Khan, who is leading the snow clearance operation, told Greater Kashmir: “Snow clearance operation was started on March 15 and till Tuesday evening, the clearance machinery reached Poshana check point, located at 28 kilometers from Surankote.”
He added that two snow cutters, a bulldozer and a JCB machine have been deployed in the snow clearance operation.
Khan further said that the heavy snow had accumulated between Poshana and Peer Ki Gali and it will take two to three weeks to clear the snow off the road, after which traffic will be restored.
On being contacted, additional district development commissioner, Shopian, Mohammad Saleem Malik, said, “Snow clearance on the Mughal Road from Shopian was started a few days ago on the directions of the district development commissioner, Shopian, Owais Ahmed.”
He added, “Snow clearance operation has reached upto 20 kilometer from Shopian. Fresh snowfall on Tuesday afternoon and evening hampered the clearance, but the department is working on war footing to restore the road at an earliest.”