Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Apr 13: The historic Mughal road has not been reopened for vehicular traffic even as snow was cleared on the road more than a week ago.
Officials within the mechanical department said that the snow clearance work which was started in March has been completed on April 2 and traffic can be restored on it.
The road connecting Kashmir via Shopian with Pir Panchal region in Jammu was shut in winters because of snow. People from Shopian as well as Poonch and Rajouri area of Pir Panchal demand reopening of roads for traffic as they are forced to take longer routes.
They said that the closure of the road has badly hit businesses and other activities of residents of Shopian, Hirpora, Dubjan, Pir-Ki-Gali and Buffliaz, Thanamadi and other villages. Many people from Shopian are married in Poonch or Rajouri and vice-versa.
But the closure of the road is affecting people traveling to their relatives on both sides.
Besides, it has also affected students from Kashmir studying at Baba Gulam Shah University in Rajouri.
Despite getting the national highway status in 2016, the Mughal road has no separate mechanical division and the proposed tunnel to make the road all-weather is nowhere in sight.
An official said that the decision about reopening the road will be taken shortly.
