Major portion of protection wall collapses on Jammu–Srinagar Highway at Dalwas, one tube closed

Banihal, Oct17: A major portion of a protection wall along the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) collapsed at Dalwas in Ramban district on Thursday evening, leading to the closure of one tube of the four-lane highway and disruption of traffic movement.

According to officials, around 40 meters of the wall, along with Sawni panchayat link road, suddenly eroded, affecting the stretch of the highway. The incident occurred at around 5 p.m., following which traffic was diverted through the single open tube, resulting in slow vehicular movement in the area.

Project Director, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Shubham Yadav, told Greater Kashmir over the phone that a 40-meter-long portion of the back wall had been damaged. “One tube of the four-lane highway has been closed since Thursday evening. The cause of the erosion is yet to be ascertained,” he said, adding that restoration work has already been initiated at the site and efforts are on to make the affected tube trafficable at the earliest.

The collapse also damaged a part of the local Sawni road, cutting off movement of huge population. Authorities from NHAI, traffic officials and the district administration are closely monitoring the situation to prevent further damage and ensure the smooth flow of traffic on the vital highway.