Mughal road in J&K closed after rain, landslides

Heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday triggered landslides, forcing closure of the historic Mughal Road for vehicular traffic.

"Heavy rainfall triggered landslides at Shikargah in Poonch district on the Mughal Road. Vehicles will be allowed to ply only after landslide debris are cleared along the road," a traffic police official told IANS.

The 84-kilometre road was opened on May 3 this year after having remained closed for five months.

The Mughal Road connects Bafliaz town of Poonch district in Jammu region to Shopian town in the Kashmir valley.

The historic road passes through Pir Panjal mountain range and was used by Mughal emperors to conquer and travel to Kashmir during the 16th century.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to give an alternative highway status to the road in addition to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which is currently the only all-weather surface link for routing essential supplies to the landlocked Kashmir valley.

Meanwhile, the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Wednesday remained open for one-way traffic despite rainfall in the state.

"Vehicles will travel from Srinagar to Jammu today (Wednesday) and no vehicle will be allowed from the opposite direction," a traffic police official said.

The strategic national highway usually gets closed due to snowfall or rains in the state.