Jammu Srinagar National Highway has been closed for ten days due to heavy rains and landslides, leaving over 3700 vehicles stranded. Mughal Road and Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch Highway have been reopened.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) remained closed for vehicular traffic for the fourth consecutive day on Friday due to heavy rains, landslides and landslides in some parts of the road. On the other hand, the inter-regional Mughal Road connecting Jammu’s Poonch district with Kashmir’s Shopian district has been reopened for vehicular traffic after three days of closure. A traffic police officer said that the Jammu Srinagar Highway and Sinthan Road were closed at several places due to landslides, mudslides and rockfalls.
The highway has been closed several times since August 26 due to heavy rains, floods and landslides. It was opened for a few hours on August 30, but has been closed for a total of ten days now. Due to this blockade, more than 3,700 vehicles are stranded at various places from Kathua to Kashmir.
Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) such as passenger and private cars are allowed to ply on Mughal Road from Poonch to Shopian and from Shopian to Poonch. Of the Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) carrying essential goods, only six-wheeler trucks are allowed to ply from Poonch to Shopian. Besides, the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway, which was closed for three days, has also been opened after landslides. As per the advisory of the traffic police, there will be no vehicular movement in the opposite direction on the Jammu-Srinagar highway from Jakheni (Udhampur) to Srinagar and from Jakheni to Bali Nala due to road congestion.
Vehicular movement from Nagrota (Jammu) towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar is also banned. The worst-affected areas include Shalgarhi, Nachilana, Panthial, Marug and Peerah in Ramban-Banihal, where parts of roads and retaining walls have been washed away. A major landslide has also occurred in a part of Peerah tunnel. In Udhampur sector, about 10 km of road between Jakheni, Thara D, Bali Nala and Dewal has been affected. The Meteorological Department has warned of more heavy rains in the next few hours, which is delaying the road repair work. Officials have appealed to the people not to travel till the road is restored and to confirm the road condition with government sources.
