Sgr-Jmu NH open despite inclement weather

Ramban: Vehicular traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was disrupted for brief periods due to the triggering of rolling stones at Panthyal between Ramban and Banihal sectors of the highway on Tuesday.

Traffic officials monitoring the regulation of traffic on the highway in Ramban said that despite intermittent triggering of shooting stones following rain that started lashing in the area since Tuesday morning, scores of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) crossed the Nashri-Banihal stretch of the highway for their respective destinations on Tuesday.

They said Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) carrying essential commodities for Kashmir headed to the Valley at a slow pace.

SSP Traffic Police, National Highway, Ramban, Mohita Sharma told Greater Kashmir that the vehicular traffic movement on the highway was disrupted due to intermittent triggering of shooting stones at Panthyal following heavy rains on Tuesday afternoon.

The traffic authorities said that during the last 24 hours up to 5 pm on Tuesday, the highway remained blocked for 1 hour and 5 minutes due to shooting stones at Panthyal.

They said that traffic movement on the Nashri-Banihal stretch remained slow due breakdown of seven HMVs.

Meanwhile, an advisory issued by Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police Department stated that due to the ‘Bharat Jodoo Yatra’ from Ramban towards Banihal on Wednesday, no vehicular traffic would be allowed from Qazigund towards Banihal, Ramban and from Nashri towards Ramban-Banihal.

However after the culmination of the ‘Bharat Jodoo Yatra’, subject to fair weather and good road conditions, LMVs would be allowed to move on either side while HMVs would be allowed from Jakhani, Udhampur to move towards Kashmir.

People have been advised not to undertake journeys on the highway without confirming the status of the road from Traffic Control Unit (TCU) Jammu, TCU Srinagar, and TCU Ramban as the MeT has predicted heavy rain and snowfall for the next few days with chances of highway blockade.