SRINAGAR: Passenger traffic was suspended on national highway, the only road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country on Tuesday, when only stranded Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will ply from Jammu to Srinagar, where supply of essential commodities, including vegetables, LPG and petrol was far from normal.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Leh national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic 86-km-long Mughal road between Shopian in south Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region besides Anantnag-Kishtwar road remained closed since December last year due to snow.
The roads are likely to reopen in April or May. No passenger vehicle will be allowed to ply from Jammu or Srinagar side on Tuesday, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
He said it has been decided that only HMVs carrying essentials, including fresh vegetables, LPG cylinders and oil tankers will ply from Jammu to Srinagar today.
No vehicles, including security force convoy will be allowed from opposite direction, he said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir valley, dependent on imports from different parts of the country, is facing acute shortage of essentials following frequent closure of the highway due to landslides and shooting stones, particularly between Ramban and Ramsu.
However, 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 clear the landslides and shooting stones on the highway.
Meanwhile, the gas agencies have suspended home delivery in the summer capital, where long queues could be seen outside gas dealers sale point since early morning despite chilly weather condition.
The valley is facing acute shortage of LPG, petrol, diesel and fresh vegetables due to frequent closure of the highway.
The prices of essentials has witnessed sharp increase during the past one month as valley depends only on imports from different states of the country.