Srinagar, Mar 14 (UNI) The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, life line to Kashmir, remained closed for the fourth day today resulting in acute shortage of essential commodities in the valley.

The weather has improved and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has pressed into service hundreds of labourers and machines to clear the landslides and snow on the highway, a traffic police official told UNI here.

He said one-way traffic would be restored in the afternoon if there are no more landslides and shooting stones in the Penthal area.

However, he said, only vehicles stranded on this side of the Penthal would be allowed to proceed towards Jammu.

About one thousand vehicles, including those carrying passengers, who left Srinagar on March 10 morning for Jammu, are stranded on the highway after it was closed for traffic due to landslides triggered by heavy rains at Penthal, the most troubled spot.

However, a number of passengers, who had left Srinagar for Jammu on March 11, reached Ramban after crossing the troubled spot on foot.

There was about two to three feet of snow accumulated on the highway between Qazigund to Banihal.

The closure of the highway has resulted in shortage of almost all essential commodities, including vegetables, meat, milk, fruits, chicken and other items being imported from different Jammu and other states.

The prices of local vegetables has also increased many fold with no checking from the divisional administration.

UNI