Srinagar: Traffic was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar on the region’s highway after authorities allowed only stranded vehicles to move, an official stated.
According to the region’s Traffic Department, more than 3,000 vehicles crossed the Jawahar Tunnel on Wednesday with over 1,000 of these carrying essential supplies for the landlocked Valley.
“Today we have decided to allow only the stranded traffic to decongest the highway. The passage of vehicles has to be very cautious and slow at Marog in Ramban-Ramsoo sector where a 200 metre stretch is narrow and bad,” he added.
With the opening of the highway, essential stock has been improving gradually in Kashmir.
Following six days of consecutive closure of the highway, the Valley had witnessed an acute shortage of edibles and petroleum products.
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Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman of the Hurriyat (M) on Monday said that the due to the closure of ‘natural routes of JK, people have been forced to depend on the ‘artificial Srinagar-Jammu highway’ which mostly remains closed due to adverse weather.
In a tweet, Mirwaiz had said, ” Tens of thousands of Kashmiri’s are stranded in Jammu for past one week as the Srinagar Jammu highway is closed and few flights are operating on this sector. People are facing tremendous hardship as their recourses to support themselves are drying up and they are stranded. Their is no support in place for them from those who rule this place and they are left to fend for themselves.”
He added, “No additional flights or accommodation and food till they reach home is provided. It is incumbent upon those who have blocked our natural routes to outside world and made us solely dependent on this artificial route (Jammu Srinagar highway) mostly closed in winter due to weather vagaries, to take responsibility of the dire consequences that people of Kashmir have to face and at least provide them with relief and help till they reach home.”
Tensions were abound further after a video of college students of Jammu pelting stones at the stranded passengers circulated on social media. The incident took place at the Auqaf building in Jammu where the stranded passengers were staying.
Following the news, the community of Sikhs rose above religion and caste, by setting up free kitchens and accommodation in Gurudwaras for stranded Kashmiris on the National Highway.
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Sikhs of Jammu posted the addresses of the Gurudwaras where Langars were set up on social networking websites and are receiving tremendous appreciation from the valley.
