Srinagar, Dec 11: The vehicular traffic on the crucial 270-kilometre Srinagar-Jammu National Highway came to a standstill for over two hours on Monday due to shooting stones at Mehad-Cafeteria in Ramban, officials said.
According to a traffic department official in Ramban, vehicular traffic remained suspended for 2 hours and 40 minutes due to shooting stones at various locations along the national highway.
He said huge boulders rolled down at Mehad-Cafeteria Ramban, halting traffic from both sides. The highway was reopened in the late evening after several hours.
The official said slow movement was observed on NH-44 due to breakdowns of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) and poor road conditions at Dalwas, as well as single-lane traffic at Cafeteria-Mehad, Magerkote, Nachlana between Nashri and NAVYUG Tunnel.
A traffic police spokesperson said subject to fair weather and good road conditions on Tuesday, both Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) would be allowed from both sides on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Commuters were advised to adhere to lane discipline.
Security forces’ vehicles were also permitted on Jammu-Srinagar NHW (NH-44) in both directions. Additionally, vehicular movement on the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road was allowed from both sides, with specific timings for different vehicle categories.
On the Mughal Road, traffic will be permitted from both sides, specifically Poonch towards Shopian and vice versa, with specified time slots, the official said.
While the valley continued to experience cold conditions, the local weather forecast predicted light rains and snowfall at isolated higher reaches starting from Tuesday.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, recorded the coldest night of the season at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius. Sub-zero temperatures were recorded across all stations, with Qazigund, the gateway of Kashmir, also experiencing its coldest night at minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg, a renowned ski resort, recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination, registered a minimum temperature of minus 4.7 degrees Celsius. Kupwara settled at minus 4.0 degrees Celsius, and Kokernag recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.
In light of the decreasing temperatures, the meteorological department warned of possible transportation disruptions due to foggy weather during morning and evening hours.
Director MeT, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad anticipated a further drop in temperatures in the coming days, with a slight improvement leading up to December 16. “From the 13th to the 16th of December, the weather will remain mostly cloudy, with overall dry and cold conditions persisting, he added.
