Landslide halts traffic for seven hours on Jammu-Srinagar Highway

Banihal/Jammu:  A massive landslide struck the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban district early Sunday, disrupting the movement of vehicles carrying essential commodities to Kashmir.
The landslide blocked the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, at Maroog near Ramban town, at 3 am, officials said.
“The road clearance agencies pressed their men and machines and removed the debris to make the road trafficable at 11 am,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic (National Highway Ramban), Ajay Anand told PTI.
Only heavy vehicles carrying essential commodities to Kashmir and fuel tankers are allowed to ply on the highway in view of the ongoing lockdown aimed at preventing the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
In addition, the administration has also pressed into service a limited number of State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses to ferry stranded passengers, especially those who completed the mandatory quarantine in Kathua district.
The highway was cleared for traffic on April 2 after remaining closed for a week owing to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains.
“The condition of the road at a number of places between Ramsoo and Nashri is bad and only open to one-way traffic. The work on the affected stretch is still going on,” Anand said. PTI CORR/TAS