Umaisar Gull Ganie
Jammu, Aug 29: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained shut for the fourth consecutive day on Friday following extensive damage caused by multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains in Udhampur-Ramban belt, cutting off the vital link to the Kashmir Valley.
The 270-km highway was first hit on Tuesday when incessant rains triggered multiple landslides between Jakheni and Chenani in Udhampur district. The worst damage occurred at Samroli, where both the up and down tubes of the highway were completely washed away, leaving a massive gap and rendering the road impassable.
In addition, a bridge at Thard on the same stretch collapsed, further complicating restoration efforts.
Officials said that due to the closure of the highway, over 2,000 vehicles, including trucks and passenger carriers, remain stranded at Lakhanpur, Kathua, Jammu, Nagrota, Udhampur, and Qazigund.
Trucks loaded with perishable high-density apples are also stuck on the Qazigund side. A driver said, “We fear our fruit may decompose.”
They urged the authorities to restore the highway on a war-footing basis.
Meanwhile, Union Minister and MoS in the PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh visited the flood-affected stretches of the highway in Udhampur.
Dr Singh said the restoration work is being carried out on a war-footing and round-the-clock basis.
“Our top priority is the restoration of the National Highway. Since both the railway route and the highway are blocked, reopening the road for essential supplies is absolutely necessary. We hope that by Friday evening, at least arrangements will be in place to allow essential vehicles to move. Our officials, along with the Deputy Commissioner, deserve credit for stopping traffic on the day of the red alert; otherwise, the damage could have been far worse,” he said.
