Landslide blocks Jammu-Srinagar NH again, 1300 vehicle stranded

Work in full swing, restoration likely by afternoon today: Div Com

BANIHAL/JAMMU: Thousands of commuters were stranded as the Jammu-Srinagar National highway was again blocked by a massive landslide in Ramban district on Sunday afternoon, only hours after traffic resumed on the route.
The work on cleaning the debris was going on full throttle but the authorities expected the highway to be through for vehicular movement only after 2 pm on Monday.
Traffic on the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, resumed around 3 am on Sunday after remaining suspended for over 13 hours following a massive landslide near Mahar -- two kms short of Ramban town.
Road clearing agencies worked hard to ensure early opening of the road, but the fresh landslide, covering around 100 metres of the road with debris, played spoilsport, officials said.
“The landslide struck near Digdole and at least 12 hours are needed to make the arterial road traffic-worthy. Men and machines have been pressed into service to clear the debris,” they said in Sunday afternoon.
Later in the evening, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma said that the work to clear the debris was going on in full swing but the road could be restored only on Monday afternoon.
“As we speak, there are at least 4 excavators and two loaders on the job to clear the debris. But it was a massive slide and I expect the results only after 2 pm tomorrow,” he told reporters this evening.
According to the officials, hundreds of passenger vehicles and trucks carrying essential commodities to the Valley crossed the Jawahar Tunnel -- the gateway to Kashmir -- since this morning.
However, the fresh landslide left over 1,300 vehicles stranded on the highway, they said.
“The highway was cleared of debris around 3 am on Sunday, paving the way for resumption of traffic. While light motor vehicles were allowed to move on the highway from both Jammu and Srinagar sides this morning, the movement of heavy vehicles was restricted to one-way and only Kashmir-bound trucks carrying essential commodities were cleared before the fresh landslide blocked the road again around noon,” the officials said.
Traffic on the highway remained suspended on Thursday and Friday after Kashmir Valley and high altitude areas of Jammu region, including Jawahar Tunnel, experienced first major snowfall.
Heavy rains, which lashed the highway from Banihal to Jammu, was causing frequent landslides, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the Mughal Road, which connects the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian district, remained closed for the fifth day on Sunday, they said.
The road was closed for traffic on Wednesday after heavy snowfall between Pir Ki Gali and Shopian stretch.