Mughal Road shut as snow, rain continue to batter Pir Panjal

Rajouri, Mar 20: The Pir Panjal region, comprising the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch, continued to witness rainfall and snowfall for the third consecutive day on Friday, while the strategic Mughal Road remained closed to vehicular traffic for the second straight day.

According to reports, weather conditions remained overcast during the morning, with rainfall intensifying in the afternoon and continuing till late evening.

Plains recorded moderate to heavy rainfall, while the upper reaches experienced fresh spells of light to moderate snowfall. Snowfall was ongoing in several higher-altitude areas of Rajouri and Poonch at the time of filing this report.

Traffic Police officials said that while most roads in the region remain open, the Mughal Road continues to be closed due to persistent snowfall, which has hampered snow clearance operations.

The arterial road was shut on Thursday afternoon and remained closed on Friday, with no vehicular movement reported.

Officials said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has resumed snow clearance work, but continuous snowfall along the mountainous stretch has slowed progress.

They added that significant snow accumulation has been reported beyond the Poshana check post, further complicating restoration efforts.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and the road is expected to reopen only after weather conditions improve and clearance operations are completed.