Last Updated on July 5, 2021 at 4:12 pm
For the convenience of the people, Mughal road and Anantnag-Sinthan-Kishtwar road was thrown open on Monday for passenger traffic.
The nearly 85 km road marks a historic route used in the Mughal period over the Pir Panjal Pass. It connects Poonch and Rajouri to Srinagar in the Valley, reducing the distance between Shopian and Poonch from 588 km to 126 km.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions and amalgamation of snow it got suspended for about seven months.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that since past few days, several delegations from Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kishtwar had met him and decision was taken that from July 5, Mughal Road and Sinthan Road will be opened for the common public. Further he said that the decision was taken keeping in mind the interest of people and for their convenience.
A traffic police official said that Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), including those carrying passengers were allowed to ply on the Mughal road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Due to heavy snowfall and avalanches road had been closed in December. Therefore, a snow clearance operation was carried out by the district administration from Poonch, Rajouri and Shopian and got it completed by April this year. Only trucks carrying perishable fruit and vegetables besides empty trucks and oil tankers were allowed to ply from Shopian to Poonch. Also, the Medical emergencies were allowed to ply only after proper permission from June.
Traffic police official said that LMVs will have to ply from Behramgalla, Poonch from 0800 hrs to 1500 hrs while from Herpora Shopian from 0800 hrs to 1600 hrs only. The HMVs, upto ten tyres, from Herpora between 0900 hrs to 1500, no HMV will be allowed from opposite direction.
He further said that LMV passenger traffic was also allowed from today on Anantnag-Sinthan-Kishtwar road, also for the first time since December last year.
He said, “LMVs will ply from both sides on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The HMVs and security forces will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only”. Only one-way traffic will ply today from Kargil to Srinagar on the national highway, linking UT Ladakh with Kashmir.
