Landslides disrupt traffic on Sgr-Jmu NH

Ramban, May 4:  Vehicular traffic movement on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was disrupted for more than two hours after a fresh landslide and boulders blocked the road in the Ramsu area on Saturday.

Traffic officials said, “The highway was blocked after fresh landslides and boulders hit the road in the Ramsu area at around 5 pm this evening.”

Officials said the companies engaged by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) were immediately summoned to clear the landslide and boulders from the road at Ramsu.

“Traffic was partially restored after the concerned road maintenance agency NHAI cleared the landslide debris from the road in Ramsu at around 8 pm. Stranded road traffic between Nashri and Banihal is being cleared on priority,” officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway, Ramban, Rohit Baskotra said, “The highway was partially restored for stranded traffic after NHAI cleared the accumulated landslide on Saturday evening.”

Traffic authorities said, “The highway is open but traffic movement is slow at Dalwass, Mehar, Cafeteria, Magarkote, Ramsu, Hingni, Nachlana, Gangroo and at other places due to single lane and poor road surface conditions at several places besides the movement of nomads between Nashri and Banihal sectors.”

Meanwhile, commuters and vehicle operators complained that the Traffic Control Units (TCUs) of the traffic police department failed to provide real-time information regarding the status of the road.

They alleged, “TCU Udhampur and Ramban remained busy and did not respond to the calls, made to know the status of the road.”