Highway off limits for 5th straight day

Srinagar, Jan 25: Fresh landslides on Friday hit the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which remained closed for the fifth consecutive day, leaving 1,500 vehicles stranded at different places, officials said.

There were fresh landslides on the highway at Gangroo, Ramsoo, Pantiyal and Anokhi areas in Ramban districts, they said.

A portion of the highway has sunk near BGO office Ramsoo and work for clearance of landslides and restoration of the highway by men and machine of BRO is on, they said.
Dy SP (Highway) Pardeep Singh, who is monitoring the work himself, said the earlier landslide at Sherbibi was cleared but the work on the rest is on.
He said a portion of the road, which sunk at BDO office in Ramsoo, will be made trafficable for one way traffic after repairs.
At six places on the highway in Ramban section, there were either landslides or shooting of stones from mountain tops posing hurdles in clearance operations, IG Traffic Alok Kumar said.
Due to the closure of the highway over, 1,500 vehicles, most of them trucks, have been stranded at various places in Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Chenani, Patnitop, Ramban, Batote Banihal areas, they said.
A massive avalanche also hit Chashoti area in Paddar in Kishtwar, they said.
There was no loss of life or injury to anyone, officials said.
Landslides hit Gagroo, Anokhi Fall and Battery Chashma areas of the strategic highway. The debris were yet to be cleared. The clearance operation were on hold due to bad weather, he said.
“For the safety of travellers, we decided not to allow traffic on the highway on Friday.
“Intending travellers are advised not to undertake the journey without contacting our control rooms in Jammu and Srinagar to know the latest status,” he added.
“Traffic movement disrupted continuously for 5th day due to frequently shooting stones/landslides occurred in Ramban- Banihal stretch on Jammu Srinagar NHW. Therefore tomorrow on 26.01.19 only stranded vehicles shall be allowed after assessing weather/clearance road,” J&K Traffic Police updated on its official Twitter handle Friday evening.
All essentials of life are routed into the landlocked Kashmir Valley through this highway.
Hoarders and profiteers hike prices of essentials by creating artificial scarcity each time the highway remains closed for a longer period.