Jammu, 5 Sep

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the fourth consecutive day on Friday due to multiple landslides and washing away of road patches.

However, the inter-regional Mughal Road, connecting Jammu region’s Poonch district with Kashmir’s Shopian district, was reopened for vehicular traffic after three days of closure.

“The Jammu-Srinagar highway and Sinthan Road are closed for vehicular movement due to landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones at several places,” a traffic police officer said.

The highway had remained closed due to multiple blockades since 26 August following torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides, but was reopened for traffic for a few hours on 30 August. In total, the highway has been closed for ten days.

The closure of highways and other inter-regional roads to Kashmir has resulted in over 3,700 vehicles getting stuck at various places from Kathua to Kashmir.

Mughal Road, which was closed for four days, was reopened for traffic, and LMVs including passenger and private cars have been allowed from both sides on the Mughal Road from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa via Poonch, they said.

However, HMVs carrying essential commodities, limited to six-tyre trucks only, are being allowed from Poonch towards Shopian, they said.

Besides this, important highways, including the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway, which was closed for three days, have also been reopened for traffic after clearance of landslides, they said.

“The highway is still closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar and vice versa due to road blockages between Jakheni and Bali 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.

The most affected areas include Shalgadi, Nachilana, Panthyal, Maroog and Peerah in Ramban–Banihal, where retaining walls and stretches of road have been washed away, and a heavy landslide has even entered one tube of the Peerah tunnel.

In the Udhampur sector, around 10 km of road between Jakhani, Thara D, Bali Nallah and Dewal has been affected, they said.