Jammu: The 270-kilometre-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, with work underway to restore a badly damaged 250-metre-long stretch in the Udhampur district.
The Doda-Kishtwar road and Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road, connecting the Union Territory of J&K with Ladakh, have also been closed due to landslides, officials said.
The highway has 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 15 days.
“The highway is still closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar and vice versa due to road blockages between Jakheni and Balli Nallah. No vehicular movement shall be allowed from Nagrota (Jammu) towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Srinagar, and vice versa,” a traffic police advisory said.
It further advised that commuters heading to Katra and Udhampur towns should carry photo ID cards to prove their identity, ensuring smoother movement.
The men and machines of the NHAI are working on war-footing to restore the badly damaged stretch of the highway due to a massive landslide at Thard and the washing away of a part at Balli Nallah area, they said.
They added that it is the most difficult stretch as the highway had to be rebuilt here in the wake of a massive landslide.
Six large rocks, which were the main hurdles in the restoration of the highway stretch, were blasted and removed on Monday, and three more rocks were excavated to pave the way for removing additional obstacles, the officials said. “It has proved to be a big challenge. With this, the road is beginning to clear, and the blocked highway will soon be opened for traffic.”
While most of the landslides, mudslides, and falling stones were cleared from the highway in Ramban and Udhampur, the 250-meter-stretch remained buried under a hill at Thard in the Udhampur district, following the washing away of portions of the highway.
The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta Hills also remained suspended for the 15th consecutive day.
The Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri Highway is also closed due to a landslide near Rasool Morh in the Zojila belt, they said, adding that restoration work is ongoing.
“People are advised not to undertake the journey on the highway until the road is fully restored,” they said.
Traffic on the inter-regional Mughal Road, connecting Jammu region’s Poonch district with Kashmir’s Shopian district, is moving smoothly, while the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road is closed due to landslides.
The closure of highways and other inter-regional roads to Kashmir has resulted in over 4,000 vehicles getting stranded at various places in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, the Kashmir Valley, and Punjab, they said.
