Ramban, Feb 21: The onl1y surface link connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country – Srinagar Jammu National Highway (NH-44) remained blocked on the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
However, road restoration work was going on, in full swing.
Officials said that after improvement in weather, the concerned road maintenance agency of NHAI pressed its men and machinery to clear the accumulated landslides, slush and shooting stones simultaneously at Dalwass, Mehar-Cafeteria, Trishul Mode, Panthial, Chambalwas and prepared a single way to clear the stranded traffic between Nashri and Banihal in Ramban district.
“National Highway was partially restored for stranded vehicles around 2 pm but a fresh landslide again hit and blocked the road at Kishtwari Pathar area at around 3 pm,” they said.
Traffic authorities said that fresh landslides at Kishtwari Pathar and due to the tumbling of stones at Mehar-Cafeteria, Rampari, Gangroo area between Ramban and Banihal, National Highway 44 remained blocked.
“People are advised to avoid journeys on National Highway 44 till the road is cleared. They are also advised to confirm the status of roads from Traffic Control Units Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban before embarking on journey,” they said.
National Highway 44 was closed due to landslides and shooting stones at several places between the Nashri and Banihal section on Monday. It continued to remain closed due to a fresh spell of snow on the Ramsu-Banihal-Qazigund stretch and rain on Tuesday.
After a slight improvement in weather today, road clearance work was started by the concerned agency NHAI. The road was partially restored to clear stranded traffic on Wednesday afternoon but after having remained open for a brief period, fresh landslides and shooting stones again hit and blocked the road at Kishtwari Pathar.
Due to blockade, hundreds of vehicles, especially load carriers, were stranded at various locations between Jammu and Srinagar.
“Heavy rain caused intermittent tumbling of stones, accumulation of mudslides besides water logging at several places between Nashri and Banihal,” officials said.
Earlier, during the day, Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway Ramban Rohit Baskotra, Deputy Commissioner Ramban Basheer Ul Haq Chaudhary and Project Director NHAI, PIU Ramban, Purshotam Kumar monitored road restoration work at several places between Ramban and Banihal.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway Ramban Rohit Baskotra, late Wednesday evening, said, “National Highway 44 is still blocked for every type of traffic due to landslides and intermittent triggering of shooting stones at several places between Nashri and Banihal.”
The commuters were advised not to undertake journeys on the Srinagar Jammu National Highway till the weather improved and the road restoration was completed.
Light rain continued to lash isolated places between Nashri and Banihal.