| Jammu-Srinagar NH closed for 3rd day, 1700 vehicles stranded | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 22: Jammu- Srinagar 270 Km National Highway (NH44) remained closed for the third consecutive day for all type of vehicular traffic due to heavy landslides at different parts in between Ramban to Banihal road stretch from Wednesday evening after heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening and Thursday.
Men and machines put on job to restore the NH44 at earliest. In between Ramban-Banihal road stretch the road maintenance agency are on job to clear the heavy landslides to clear to NH44.
Local people accommodated the stranded passengers in their homes, mosques, gurudwara and temples and provide food facilities in shape of langers besides this district administration also arranged accommodation community halls, and schools.
As per the traffic officials there are landslides in Maroge, Battery Cheshma, Panthyal, Anokhi Fall and Moon Passi and clearance work is on to clear the highway for stranded vehicles.
When contacted Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic National Highway JS Johar 250 to 300 vehicles including heavy and light motor vehicles were stranded in Ramban to Chanderkote in which more than 3000 passengers were stranded including females and children.
"If weather allow the highway will be restore by today evening or tomorrow morning" he added.
Five landslides triggered by rains struck the strategic 270-km highway at Khuni Nallah, Panthiyal, Digdole, Battery Cheshma and Maroog, blocking the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country.
According to officials, vehicles are stranded on the highway in Ramban, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
"No traffic has been allowed to move from Nagrota area of Jammu towards Kashmir Valley in view of the closure of the highway," officials said adding, "The Batota-Doda-Kishtwar road is also blocked at two places and work is on to clear the road."
Some locals, especially from the Sikh community, living along the highway, are distributing free 'langar' for the stranded people.
After two days of snowfall and heavy rain, the weather in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to improve on Friday, the Met Department said. "Weather is likely to improve in from today afternoon. Dry weather is expected to continue till February 25," an official said.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 1.0 degrees Celsius, while in Pahalgam and Gulmarg it was minus 1.1 and minus 6.4, respectively.
In the Ladakh region, Leh recorded a minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, Kargil minus 13.2 and Drass minus 9.4. Jammu city recorded 10.1, Katra 9.4, Batote 2.1, Bannihal 3.8 and Bhaderwah 1.6. |
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