Ramban: Fresh landslides and shooting stones on Monday disrupted traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which was partially restored for stranded vehicles by the authorities late Sunday evening after three days.
The movement of traffic on the highway, which was opened for one-way traffic last evening, was disrupted many a time at different locations due to fresh landslides, shooting stones particularly on narrow road stretches between Ramsu and Chanderkote sector during the day.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mussarat Islam said, “This morning fresh landslides occurred at Seri, Panthyal and Khooni nallah and thus the vehicular traffic on the both sides of the highway was halted.”
“However, the landslides were cleared and Light Motor Vehicles were allowed to move to their respective destinations in the afternoon,” the officials said.
An official at the Traffic Control Unit at National Highway Ramban said the fresh traffic of light and medium passenger vehicles was allowed to move from Jammu to Srinagar early Monday morning while the LMVs from Qazigund-Srinagar to Jammu were allowed to move after 11 am due to slippery road conditions.
Due to blockade of the highway, hundreds of diesel-petrol and gas tankers, Heavy Motor Vehicles (trucks) carrying essential commodities for Kashmir valley were stranded at different places on the National Highway for the past four days. However, they were not allowed to move towards Kashmir till late Monday evening by the authorities.
Police officials regulating traffic at different locations on highway said that as a precaution to save life and property of those travelling on the highway, the vehicular traffic was being allowed to move only after assessing the situation at Magarkot, Panthyal, Khooni nallah, Maroog, Seri, Cafeteria Morh and Mehar bridge sites.
After clearing Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) heading towards Jammu, heavy motor vehicles would be allowed to move towards Kashmir after assessing the situation, the officials added.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway Ramban Shabir Ahmed Malik was seen personally monitoring traffic at Panthyal and Maroog during the day.
Meanwhile, a fresh landslide at around 7 pm this evening at Panthyal blocked the highway. However, men and machinery deployed by the company engaged by NHAI were trying to clear road stretches of stones and debris. But the restoration work was being hampered by continuous rolling stones, a traffic police official, deployed at the spot, said.
Due to blockade at Panthyal, hundreds of Light Motor Vehicles en route to Jammu were stuck between Panthyal and Banihal at isolated places.
Later in the evening J&K Traffic Headquarters issued a modified advisory.
“Tomorrow, subject to fair weather and better road condition LMVs’ passengers shall be allowed from Srinagar towards Jammu (only one way) in view of narrow and slippery conditions of road at many places on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and shall be allowed from Navyug Tunnel (Qazigund side) at 0900 hours up to 1300 hours,” the advisory read.
“No bus will be allowed. Traffic Control Unit (TCU) Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic. No vehicle shall be allowed before and after cut off timing,” it added.