Rajouri, Jul 27: For yet another time, the Mughal Road has reaffirmed its strategic and public importance by emerging as the only reliable surface link connecting Kashmir with rest of the country as prolonged disruption on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway continues due to heavy rainfall and landslides.
With the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway over the past several days, thousands of commuters and transporters have been left stranded, raising concerns over Kashmir’s road connectivity.
Amid challenging circumstances, the Mughal Road has once again stood the test of adverse weather, ensuring uninterrupted movement of vehicles and preventing the Valley from being completely cut off by road.
Despite widespread landslides, shooting stones and weather-related disruptions affecting road networks across Jammu and Kashmir, including the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the Mughal Road has largely remained operational.
Officials said the road witnessed only a brief disruption two days ago when a landslide blocked traffic for nearly one-and-a-half hours before the route was restored.
Authorities said that the road has remained open for all categories of vehicles throughout the spell of inclement weather. With the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway currently closed, the Mughal Road has become the sole surface route connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, resulting in a significant increase in vehicular movement, particularly Kashmir-bound traffic. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Surankote, Farooq Khan, said the Mughal Road remained open despite continuous adverse weather conditions. He said traffic volume on the road nearly doubled in recent days and the administration is taking all necessary measures to ensure smooth and safe movement of vehicles. The importance of the Mughal Road was similarly demonstrated last year when it served as the only surface link to Kashmir after massive flash floods caused extensive damage to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Ramban during May.
The road had then played a crucial role in maintaining connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country.
It was only Mughal Road that was open during Pahalgam attack last year and a huge number of tourists present in the Valley dropped their travel and returned homes after attack using Mughal Road.
The recurring dependence on the Mughal Road during emergencies has once again highlighted its strategic significance and strengthened the long-standing demand for its further development, improved maintenance, and all-weather upgradation to ensure uninterrupted connectivity during natural disasters and highway disruptions.
