Ramban: Transporters and commuters confronted traffic congestion between Nashri and Banihal sectors after a landslide hit Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday.
Officials said that a landslide hit and blocked the road at Shalgari area of Banihal on Thursday morning due to which vehicular traffic was halted for two and half hours on both sides of the highway.
They said that the slide was removed by the concerned agency and the traffic on both sides was allowed to proceed towards respective destinations on the highway.
Traffic officials said, “Smooth flow of traffic was disrupted due to a landslide at Shalgari area; movement of nomads with livestock and breakdown of few heavy vehicles between Nashri and Banihal on the highway during the day.”
A Jammu-bound oil tanker driver Manmohan Singh, who remained stuck in traffic congestion at several stretches, said, “Traffic congestion had been there due to single lane roads at Shalgari and at various other places since Thursday morning.”
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ramban Mussrat Islam said, “Following a slide at Shalgari and an accident at Nachlana, traffic is moving slowly. People are advised to maintain lane discipline to avoid choking on this section.”
Besides landslides at Shalgar, a collision between a bus and a truck at Nachlana, between Ramban and Banihal, disrupted traffic.
“Slide was removed and vehicles are moving slowly,” the DC said.
SSP Traffic Rohit Baskotra said, “Landslide at Shalgari; road accident in Nachlana and movement of nomads caused huge congestion.”
The officials involved in regulation of traffic on the highway said that it (traffic) was being cleared on a one way basis at various bottlenecks and single lane road stretches between Nashri and Banihal.