Traffic was resumed on Friday on the historic 86-km-long Mughal road after remaining suspended for several hours today due to landslides and shooting stones, triggered by rain.
However, a traffic police official told UNI that only vehicles, carrying fresh fruit from Kashmir, are allowed to ply on the road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway, closed for the past four days due to landslides and shooting stones.
Meanwhile, chairman of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference Shafiq Mir said since the Srinagar-Jammu national highway is closed, all type of vehicles should be allowed to operate on the road which is connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.
The Administrative Council (AC) has also approved up-gradation, improvement and resurfacing of Mughal Road at an estimated cost of Rs 47.41 crore.
Due to landslides and shooting stones, triggered by rain, traffic on the Mughal road was suspended in the afternoon Thursday and today morning. However, the district administration put into service machines and men and removed the landslides from the road and resumed traffic after several hours of disruption. However, a senior engineer said there is still threat of landslides and shooting stones and visibility is going down in the afternoon.
Traffic official denied the reports that all types of vehicles have been allowed to ply on the highway. He said only trucks and other vehicles loaded with fresh fruit are allowed to operate from Heerpora Shopian towards other side of the Pir-ki-Gali between 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs only.
However, Mir said there is now no justification for continued closure of the Mughal road for passenger traffic when all other roads are open. Mir who is also Block Development Council Chairman block Bufliaz of district Poonch said that due to the closer of Mughal Road the people of Poonh- Rajouri were facing lot of Problems. Even a critical patient who is referred to S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar is forced to travel 500 kms via Jammu to reach Srinagar when distance between Poonch to Srinagar is only 80 Kms.
Mir said the Mughal road could have been used as alternate to Jammu and Srinagar highway which often remains closed due to landslides.
An official spokesman said that the Administrative Council (AC) on Thursday approved up-gradation, improvement and resurfacing of Mughal Road at an estimated cost of Rs 47.41 crore
The AC gave nod to the up-gradation for a total length of 84.11 kms of the historic road during a meeting under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, here on Thursday evening
He said the decision of the AC is aimed at proper upkeep /maintenance of the road to check avoidable loss of human life in various road accidents and ensuring smooth vehicular movement
“In recent years, Mughal Road being the alternate link between Jammu and Srinagar has gained significance by reducing the distance and travel time between Poonch- Rajouri districts of Jammu province and Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir province,” he said.
He said it has also brought to the fore, vast tourism to Shopian-Dubjan-Pir Ki Gali-Buflaiz-Surankote-Poonch-Rajouri sector. “Besides the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri through Mughal road link have received access to medical and educational facilities available in Kashmir valley,” he added.