Rock stabilisation work underway at vulnerable spots on Sgr-Jmu NH

Ramban, Dec 4: The anchoring and netting works for rock and slope stabilisation, by the contractor companies of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), are underway at various vulnerable spots of Srinagar Jammu National Highway.

The works are being carried out at those places where earth excavation for road widening work, to convert two-lane highway into four lanes between Nashri and Banihal, was recently completed.
However, the work, given its critical nature, is going on at a slow pace.

Engineers of contractor companies, engaged for rock stabilisation, rock bolting and net-laying works, are hopeful that after the completion of this work, the apprehensions of rock slides and shooting stones from hillocks, alongside the road (NH-44), will end.

Engineers said, “Rock stabilisation work at different vulnerable locations can have a positive impact on the safety of vehicle operators and travellers by reducing the risks of rock sliding and shooting stones.”

“It will also help in the improvement of road connectivity to the valley of Kashmir with the rest of the country,” they said.

Incidents of rock slides and shooting stones from hills slopes not only result in frequent closure of the Srinagar Jammu National Highway but also consume the precious lives of travellers and vehicle operators between the Nashri and Banihal sectors of the highway. The hilly and mountainous terrain along the highway, especially between Nashri to Banihal, is prone to landslides, rockslides and shooting stones which can occur suddenly and pose a significant danger to vehicle operators, travellers and road users.

According to locals, there were several places between Nashri and Banihal, where excavation work was completed by the contractor companies of NHAI and thus the threat of landslides and shooting stones persisted there, especially during rainy days or inclement weather.

Officials have maintained a number of times that the four-lane project work between Udhampur and Banihal is challenging due to terrain and persistent adverse weather conditions. “Rock stabilisation, hill slope protection and netting will help reduce incidents of rock slides, shooting stones and frequent landslides on the most vulnerable stretches between Nashri and Banihal in the Ramban district,” officials said.

They said the four-lane project work from Udhampur to Chenani was almost completed, however, the work on the Nashri viaduct, to bypass the Dalwass landslide-prone area, Mehar-Cafeteria Morh tunnel in Ramban, was still going on. According to them, the work on the additional two-lane Peera-Kunfer tunnel on the Udhampur-Ramban section was nearing completion.

They said that excavation work for converting a two-lane highway into four-lane, between Ramban and Ramsu, except for tunnels, was almost completed.
“Therefore, the rocks and slope stabilisation work at several places between Ramban and Banihal is in progress. The work on tunnels and bridges, including the Magarkote bridge and Banihal flyover, is also going on,” officials informed.

“Nowadays rock and slope stabilisation works are going on near Trushul Morh, Chamba, Seri, Kelamorh, Maroog and other places between Ramban and Ramsu,” they said.

Earlier project Director NHAI, PIU, Ramban Purshotam Kumar had told Greater Kashmir that once the work on bridges or viaducts was completed, NHAI would go for hill protection or netting at vulnerable stretches.