Fresh snowfall shuts Mughal road, Srinagar-Leh highway; authorities urge caution

Srinagar: Fresh snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir’s higher reaches led to the closure of the Mughal Road and the Srinagar-Leh Highway on Tuesday evening, disrupting vehicular movement between the Valley and Jammu as well as Ladakh.

Traffic officials said the Mughal Road, which connects Shopian with the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, was closed near Peer Ki Gali as a precautionary measure following the snowfall. “Traffic movement has been suspended due to slippery conditions. People are advised to avoid travelling on the route until it is cleared,” said Manzoor Ahmad Kohli, DTI Traffic Mughal Road.

In central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the Srinagar-Leh Highway was also shut after heavy snowfall at Zojila, Sonamarg, Minimarg, and Drass. Officials said snow began around 6 pm on Tuesday, reducing visibility and making the road surface hazardous.

“Nearly nine inches of snow were recorded at Zojila and around five inches at Sonamarg,” a traffic police official told Kashmir News Trust, adding that several vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway before traffic was halted.

The Meteorological Department had earlier forecast light to moderate snowfall in the higher reaches, which materialised with the latest spell. Authorities have urged travellers to avoid movement along the affected routes until clearance operations are completed and conditions improve.