BANIHAL/JAMMU, February 6th: Authorities suspended traffic along the critical Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Tuesday to conduct repair works in Ramban district. The repairs were deemed necessary after snowfall and heavy rains last Thursday severely damaged the arterial road at several points between Nashri and Banihal.
Multiple earth movers have been deployed by the concerned agencies to address the damage, including at Kishtwari Pather, Sher Bibi, Nachlana, Hingni, Shalgadi, Mehar, Cafeteria Morh, and Dalwas, where landslides triggered by the rain reduced the road to a single lane.
The 270-km highway serves as the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. The recent damages, along with slippery conditions due to snow in other areas, have significantly disrupted vehicle movement over the past week.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic (National Highway), Rohit Baskotra, stated that road widening operations are underway at several locations to ensure safe travel. Additionally, a mixture of urea and salt has been spread on icy roads at specific points to address slow vehicle movement.
Baskotra noted that traffic on the highway was suspended for two hours at Dalwas on Monday to clear landslide debris. However, efforts are underway to complete repair works by Wednesday morning to resume vehicular movement on the highway from both directions.
Apart from the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, several other routes, including the Srinagar-Leh national highway, Mughal road, Bhaderwah-Chamba road, and Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road, have also been closed for the past week due to snow accumulation.
