Kashmir’s lifeline becomes lifeless

Qazigund / Banihal, Apr 21: For the second straight day, the usually bustling Navyug Tunnel, Kashmir’s vital all-weather link to the rest of the country has fallen eerily silent, as the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remains blocked due to landslides triggered by unrelenting rains in the Ramban district.

The 8.45-kilometre twin-tube tunnel, which connects Qazigund in south Kashmir with Banihal in the Jammu region, typically sees a constant flow of goods trucks and passenger vehicles.

But since Sunday, the bustling artery has come to a complete standstill.

“This is one of those rare occasions when we see the tunnel so quiet,” said a Traffic Police officer stationed near the tunnel entrance. “Normally, we are busy managing convoys of vehicles. Now, it is almost deserted.”

The highway closure has not only disrupted travel but also severed a critical supply line to Kashmir.

The disruption is particularly hard on small businesses that rely on the constant flow of highway traffic for their survival.

“I opened my stall at 6 am like I do every day, but barely anyone has come by,” said Muhammad Khalil, who runs a tea stall near the tunnel. “Most of my customers are travellers looking for a quick cup of chai or a snack but today, there is no one.”

Imtiyaz Ahmad, who operates a roadside dhaba near Qazigund, shared a similar experience.

“A day or two of closure might not seem like much, but for us, it is a serious loss. We rely completely on the movement along the highway,” he said.

The Qazigund toll plaza, usually abuzz with honking vehicles and long queues, stood unusually quiet on Monday.

Only a handful of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) personnel and security staff remained at their posts.

Even locals have been struck by the stillness.

“It is rare,” said Ghulam Nabi, a shopkeeper in Qazigund town. “We are used to the noise – the buzz of engines, the blare of horns. Now there is just silence.”

Officials said that the clearance operations were underway in the affected Ramban stretch and the highway would reopen once the debris is removed and the route is deemed safe.

Until then, the Navyug Tunnel, usually a symbol of uninterrupted connectivity, stands as a corridor of silence.