Bhadarwah:
The traffic on Bhaderwah-Chamba and Bhaderwah-Pathankot highways, connecting Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, was suspended on Tuesday following heavy snowfall around Padri Gali and Chattergala passes, officials said. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bhaderwah, Rakesh Kumar said the vehicular movement was stopped on the Bhaderwah-Chamba Highway after 1.5 feet to 2 feet snow accumulated on a 22-km stretch between Khanni Top and Khundi Maral during the past 24 hours.
Bhaderwah-Pathankot was also closed after nearly three feet of snow was recorded in Chattergala pass, the official said, adding that a 35-km road stretch from Thanthera to Sarthal remained buried under snow. The continuous snowfall is hampering the efforts to restore the highways, Kumar said.
He said the Roads and Buildings Department and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have kept their men and machines on standby and once the weather improves, the road clearance operation would be launched in full swing to ensure early restoration of these roads. “We are trying our best to keep both Bhaderwah-Chamba and Bhadarwah-Pathankot interstate roads functional as long as the weather permits,” the additional deputy commissioner added.
