GANDERNAL: The 80-km-long Srinagar-Sonamarg road reopened today for LMV only after remaining closed during winter due to snowfall, while the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway remained closed. As per the sources, the road was now through for traffic, there was less snowfall in the area this year and due to good clearance work of BRO and SDA that snow on the road had been cleared and it has been put through for traffic in the month of March, well before the scheduled month of May.
The authorities doubled their effort to make the road to tourist resort traffic worthy, taking the advantage of good weather for the past one month. There was less snowfall in the area, sources said, adding the BRO and Sonamarg development authorities SDA, worked round the clock to clear the road through in view of arrival of a large number of tourists from different parts of the country in the valley this month.
A number of vehicles, carrying tourists and locals has left for Sonamarg. The entire hill tops in the area besides, both sides of the road, are still under several feet of snow. Local residents, who had migrated from Sonamarg and its adjoining areas in the month of November for plains, started to return soon. Ponywallas and other local traders said this will help them to restart their trade early.
However, the Leh National Highway remained closed since December last year and several feet's of snow accumulated at Zojila, Zero point and Gomri in the Sonamarg- Drass area of the Highway. However, the BRO have pressed into service its sophisticated machines and workers to clear the snow, sources said. They said if the weather remained good, the Highway will be put opened next month.
As per the sources, the traffic will be allowed upto Sonamarg resort only from 11 a.m till 3 p.m and no vehicle will be allowed to move beyond Sonamarg market. Meanwhile the traffic will be allowed under strict observation of a three member supervising committee including chief executive officer Sonamarg Development Authority, sub-divisional magistrate Kangan and sub-divisional police officer Kangan as there is still accumulation of snow on the sides of the road and apprehensions of slides during bad weather conditions are there, they said.