Ramban: Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was disrupted for several hours due to mudslides and shooting stones caused due to intermittent rains that were lashing between Nashri and Banihal sectors for the last two days.
Traffic authorities said that during the last 24 hours up to 5 pm on Wednesday, the highway remained blocked for 16 hours and 27 minutes.
They said that the highway remained blocked for 10 hours and 17 minutes due to a mudslide at Dalwass near Nashri and for 6 hours and 10 minutes due to the closure of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel.
Traffic officials in Ramban said that following rain the highway got blocked Wednesday morning due to mudslides at Dalwass, and at other places due to the triggering of shooting stones and due to water logging at various places.
They said that after a slight improvement in the weather Wednesday afternoon the concerned agency, NHAI pressed their men and machinery into services to clear the mud and landslides at Dalwass.
The traffic officials said that the slide was cleared and scheduled traffic was resumed around 5 pm.
They said that stranded traffic was being cleared on priority.
However, the movement of traffic was slow due to slippery road conditions at various places between Nashri and Banihal.
Officials said that the concerned agency, NHAI, had deployed its men and machinery at vulnerable locations for clearing the road immediately.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Mohita Sharma said that traffic resumed on the highway after the completion of road clearance work at Dalwass.
The SSP advised the vehicle operators and commuters to travel with utmost caution on the highway.
Till the filing of this report light rain is lashing between the Nashri-Banihal sector and the highway is open for traffic.
Meanwhile, J&K Traffic Police Department issued a fresh advisory for Thursday stating that subject to fair weather and good road conditions, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) would be allowed to ply on either side of the highway while Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) would be allowed to move towards Jammu for Qazigund, Kashmir after assessing the road and traffic situation on Thursday morning.
They said that the scheduled Jammu-bound HMVs could not be released on Wednesday from Qazigund, Kashmir due to a road blockade at Dalwass.