Rain, mudslides, shooting stones disrupt traffic on Srinagar-Jammu NH

Ramban, Aug 1: Following the first spell of monsoon rain in Ramban district, the movement of traffic was disrupted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday.

The scheduled Amarnath Yatra was also delayed for two hours due to a mudslide at Hingni and intermittent triggering of shooting stones on the Mehad-Cafeteria stretch, Panthyal near Tunnel T2, and Kishtwari Pather areas between Chanderkote and Banihal sectors of the highway.

A traffic official also sustained injuries when a rolling stone hit him while he was regulating traffic in the Mehad area of Ramban.

The official said traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway had been halted due to a mudslide at Hingni and intermittent shooting stones at Mehad, Panthiyal, T2, and Kishtwari Pather.

They said that the traffic movement on both sides was halted for an hour.

The officials said that later men and machinery of the concerned road maintenance agency, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), were summoned to clear the mudslide at Hingni and accumulated stones at Mehad, Panthiyal, and Kishtwari Pather.

They said mudslides and stones were removed from the road and traffic was restored on the highway.

The officials said vehicles carrying Amarnath Yatris were permitted to move on priority and later routine traffic was also restored on both sides of the highway.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway Headquarters Ramban, Rohit Baskotra told Greater Kashmir that vehicular traffic was halted for an hour due to heavy rain that lashed the entire highway stretch on Thursday morning.

He said landslides and stones were removed immediately and traffic was restored on the highway.

Meanwhile, a traffic policeman sustained serious injuries while regulating traffic when he was hit by a rolling stone in the Mehad area of Ramban.

He was rushed to District Hospital Ramban where, after providing medical aid, he was referred to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu for specialised treatment.

Police identified the injured Traffic Policeman as Selection Grade Constable, Kuljinder Singh.

Traffic officials at the Traffic Control Unit (TCU), Ramban, evening said that the highway was open for two-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) vehicles and one-way traffic of heavy vehicles.

They said heavy vehicles released from Jakhani Udhampur headed towards Kashmir in a regulated manner.

However, given the prediction of more rains by the Meteorological Department, they advised commuters and vehicle operators not to undertake journeys on the highway without confirming the status of the road from TCU Jammu, TCU Srinagar, TCU Udhampur, and TCU Ramban on Friday.