Ramban, Mar 31: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), after having remained blocked for around 15 hours, was reopened on Sunday evening yet only for stranded vehicles between Nashri and Banihal sectors.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway Ramban, Rohit Baskotra said, “The highway was partially restored after the concerned road maintenance agency cleared the landslide and shooting stones at Kishtwari-Pathar and other places on Sunday evening.”
He said stranded passenger Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles, between Nashri and Banihal, were being cleared on priority.
Earlier officials said, “Following heavy rains during the intervening night of March 30 and 31, landslides and shooting stones at several places between the Nashri and Banihal sectors forced authorities to suspend the vehicular traffic movement on the highway on Sunday morning.”
They said the highway was blocked due to mudslides, shooting stones and water-logging at Mehar, Kishtwari Pathar and various other places.
“Heavy rains on Saturday night between Udhampur and Banihal stretch triggered landslides, shooting stones which blocked the National Highway at Mehar-Cafeteria, Mom Passi, Kishtwari Pathar and other places between Nashri and Banihal early Sunday morning. Due to the blockade hundreds of vehicles, especially load carriers, remained stranded at various locations between Jammu and Srinagar,” they said.
Officials said that no fresh traffic was allowed from Qazigund and Udhampur.
They said after the improvement in the weather on Sunday morning, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) pressed its men and machinery into service to clear the landslides and stones at Kishtwari Pathar and traffic was partially restored by evening.
“After clearing stranded vehicles on priority, other LMVs and heavy vehicles would be allowed to ply towards their respective destinations,” they added.
Traffic congestion was witnessed at Dalwass, Chaderkote, Mehar and other places after the re-opening of the highway.