Jammu: A fresh landslide on Monday blocked the 250-km Jammu–Srinagar National Highway in the Udhampur district, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded, while the main bridge in the Doda district was temporarily closed to vehicular movement after suspected cracks triggered a safety inspection, officials said.
A massive landslide struck the strategic Jammu–Srinagar National Highway at Dewal in the Udhampur district early Monday, forcing authorities to suspend vehicular traffic from both directions, a traffic department official said.
He said the closure of the highway left around 1700 trucks and numerous passenger vehicles stranded between Udhampur and Banihal, which were being cleared through the single carriageway while repairs to the bumpy road surface were underway.
“Priority is being given to passenger vehicles,” he said, clarifying that no fresh vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop or vice versa would be allowed until the restoration work is completed.
He said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had deployed men and machinery to clear the debris and restore traffic at the earliest.
“Commuters are advised to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe and reopened for traffic, as there is a risk of further landslides and shooting stones. People are also urged not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on updates issued through the Traffic Police’s official social media handles for the latest road status,” the spokesman said.
However, officials said a fresh batch of 3,823 Amarnath pilgrims, travelling in a 140-vehicle convoy to the Baltal base camp under tight security, was allowed to cross the affected stretch after authorities restored one-way traffic on the highway.
Officials said normal traffic would resume once the second tube becomes operational within the next few hours. They said the temporary suspension of vehicular traffic was intended to enable the restoration agency to carry out the work swiftly and without any disruption.
Traffic on the highway had resumed on Sunday after remaining suspended for three days due to multiple landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rainfall. However, following the passage of the Amarnath Yatra convoy, vehicular movement was once again suspended for almost the entire day to facilitate landslide clearance operations in the Gangroo area along the Ramban–Banihal stretch.
Authorities closed the Pul Doda bridge late Sunday night after reports of visible cracks raised safety concerns.
Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), Anil Mehra said an inspection by engineers found that the markings were not structural cracks but were likely caused by concrete overlap at shuttering joints during construction.
“There were speculations that cracks had developed on the bridge (following recent heavy rainfall). As a precautionary measure and from a safety point of view, we closed it to vehicular traffic during the night. After a detailed inspection this (Monday) morning, our initial assessment indicates that these are not structural cracks,” he said.
He said an expert team from Design Inspection and Quality Control had also been called in to independently assess the bridge and conduct quality checks to ensure there were no structural defects.
“Once the bridge is certified as safe, it will be reopened for vehicular traffic. At present, traffic has been diverted through the alternate Ganpat bridge. If the expert team identifies any defect, it will be rectified immediately before the bridge is reopened,” he said. (With inputs from PTI)
Fresh spell of rain likely in J&K from Tuesday
Jammu and Kashmir is likely to experience another spell of rainfall from Tuesday, with the Jammu region expected to receive heavy precipitation later this week, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides and disruption to road connectivity, according to the Meteorological Department.
The department has forecast light to moderate intermittent rain across the Kashmir Valley, while districts including Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri are expected to receive moderate to heavy rainfall.
The weather system is expected to intensify on July 30 and 31, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over parts of the Jammu region, particularly the Pir Panjal range and the Chenab Valley.
Officials have warned that the prevailing weather conditions could trigger flash floods, mudslides, landslides, shooting stones and isolated cloudbursts, especially in vulnerable and mountainous areas.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) is likely to remain susceptible to temporary closures due to landslides and shooting stones, particularly along the Ramban-Udhampur stretch. Other arterial and link roads in hilly districts may also witness traffic disruptions.
The weather is expected to improve on August 1 and 2, although another spell of rainfall is forecast to affect the Union Territory on August 3 and 4.
Authorities have advised residents, particularly those living near rivers, streams, nallahs and landslide-prone slopes, to remain vigilant and follow official weather advisories. Travellers have also been urged to check road and highway conditions before undertaking journeys during the forecast period.
