Shopian, Dec 29: Authorities in South Kashmir’s Shopian district have initiated snow clearance operations on the historic Mughal Road, a vital link connecting the Kashmir Valley to Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu.
The move follows significant snowfall that blocked the 84-kilometer stretch, leaving it inaccessible for traffic.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar, talking to Media near Hirpora said that priority snow-clearing efforts on key routes in the district began immediately after snowfall.
“P1 routes were cleared yesterday, and work is ongoing on P2 and P3 roads today,” he said. He said that snow clearance on the Mughal Road is underway.
“We anticipate completing the operation by tomorrow evening, provided no avalanches occur from Dubjan to Pir Ki Gali area,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
He added that following the clearance, the road will again undergo an assessment for safe traffic movement.
To enhance safety, authorities are considering deploying salt sprinklers on Mughal Road and town roads, particularly in hotspot areas to be identified in collaboration with the Border Roads Organization (BRO).
Assistant Executive Engineer Abdul Rehman from the Mechanical Engineering Department confirmed that snow clearance equipment working on Mughal Road has reached Dubjan but cited challenges due to poor mobile connectivity in the area.
“Our team is working in difficult conditions, and communication is limited. The road’s narrow width also restricts the deployment of multiple machines,” he explained, adding that they use multiple machines in avalanche hit areas.
