The Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the fourth consecutive day on Friday due to multiple landslides and washing away of road patches.
However, the inter-regional Mughal Road, connecting Jammu region’s Poonch district with Kashmir’s Shopian district, was reopened for vehicular traffic after three days of closure.
A traffic police official said Srinagar-Jammu highway and Sinthan Road are closed for vehicular movement due to landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones at several places.
The 270 kms long Srinagar-Jammu highway had remained closed due to multiple blockades since August 26 following torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides, but was reopened for traffic for a few hours on August 30.
In total, the highway has been closed for ten days.
The closure of highways and other inter-regional roads to Kashmir has resulted in over 3,700 vehicles getting stuck at various places from Kathua to Kashmir.
Mughal Road, which was closed for four days, was reopened for traffic, and LMVs including passenger and private cars have been allowed from both sides on the Mughal Road from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa via Poonch, officials said.
However, HMVs carrying essential commodities, limited to six-tyre trucks only, are being allowed from Poonch towards Shopian, they said.
According to traffic police advisory, the highway is closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar and vice versa due to road blockages between Jakheni and Bali Nallah.
The most affected areas include Shalgadi, Nachilana, Panthyal, Maroog and Peerah in Ramban–Banihal, where retaining walls and stretches of road have been washed away, and a heavy landslide has even entered one tube of the Peerah tunnel.
In the Udhampur sector, around 10 km of road between Jakhani, Thara D, Bali Nallah and Dewal has been affected.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar today visited most affected areas to review the restoration work on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district and said that efforts are being made to reopen the highway by the next morning so that essential supplies can be facilitated to the valley.
Kumar, who was flanked by senior officers, inspected restoration work at Thard area in Udhampur and was briefed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials on the ground, officials said.
“We are trying to reopen the highway by tomorrow morning so that essential supplies are facilitated to the valley. Efforts are on,” the Div Com said.
He said that debris clearance operations are underway on a war footing. “As the weather has improved, restoration work has been sped up.”
Over 3,700 vehicles are stranded at various places in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban and the Kashmir valley due to the closure of the highway.