Ramban–Banihal stretch witnesses 9-hr traffic snarl

Banihal, Oct 12: A massive traffic jam that began early Saturday morning and lasted late into the night brought vehicular movement to a grinding halt on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway between Ramban and Banihal, leaving thousands of passengers stranded for hours.

The 35-kilometre stretch between Ramban and Banihal, which normally takes less than an hour to cover, took as long as eight to nine hours for commuters on Saturday.

The gridlock caused immense hardship to passengers, schoolchildren and office-goers alike, said Bahar Ahamed Wani, who travelled from Jammu to Banihal.

Muzaffar Ahmed, a teacher by profession said that several school students and government employees from Banihal, Khari, Ramsoo, Ukhral, Pogal–Paristan, Digdool, Battery Chashma, Seri and Ramban were forced to return home after being stuck in the jam for hours. Many employees reportedly had to apply for leave due to their inability to reach offices.

The traffic officials attributed the prolonged congestion to the breakdown of heavy vehicles and the movement of nomadic families with livestock along the highway. However, the stranded passengers alleged that the jam worsened when a large convoy entered the highway from the opposite direction on Saturday against one-way traffic advisory.

The heavy traffic jamming extended up to nearly 10 kilometres, and it took the traffic police and local police until midnight to clear the stranded vehicles. Many truck drivers and passengers complained of spending hours without food and water amid the chaos.

A traffic police official told Greater Kashmir that the highway was cleared late Saturday night, restoring normal movement.

“On Sunday, passenger vehicles were allowed to move in both directions, while apple-laden trucks from the Kashmir Valley were allowed towards Jammu,” the official said.