Jammu-Srinagar highway opens one way for Darbar move

One-way traffic was allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Monday after the overnight rain and thunderstorm hit portions of the over 300-km road to facilitate Darbar move.

"To facilitate the shifting of office records and staff to the Kashmir Valley after the Darbar closed in Jammu, traffic was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar for April 25 and 26 only," a traffic department official told IANS in Jammu.

Annually, the state government shifts its functioning and offices from Srinagar with the onset of winter to warmer Jammu city, and shifts back to Srinagar with the onset of summer, in what is called 'Darbar move'.

"Today, vehicles will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu but no vehicle will be allowed to move on the highway in the opposite direction."

Rain-triggered landslides often result in closure of the highway which leads to shortage of essential commodities, price hike and black-marketing in the Kashmir Valley.