Sgr-Jmu NH shut; Mughal Road open
Ramban/ Rajouri, Sep 8: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained blocked for the seventh consecutive day at Tharad between Udhampur and Samroli, while the movement of traffic on the Mughal Road continued smoothly with the regulated passage of vehicles on Monday.
Officials said that amid inclement weather, the road restoration work was going on round-the-clock to remove mudslides, slush, and boulders at the Tharad area of Udhampur.
On Sunday, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) conducted a series of controlled blasts to break huge boulders accumulated on the road alignment passing through Tharad village.
Officials of NHAI in Udhampur said that the road restoration work was going on despite challenging conditions.
The only fair-weather road connectivity connecting parts of Udhampur district, including three districts of Chenab Valley, Kashmir, and Ladakh, had suffered extensive damages due flash-floods, washing away of road stretches, and landslides at several locations between Banihal and Jammu on August 26.
However, the highway was partially restored for the stranded vehicles on August 31 evening but a fresh spell of heavy rains again triggered multiple landslides between Banihal and Udhampur.
Although the Nashri sector of the highway was reopened but Chenani-Udhampur sector remains blocked due to a massive landslide at Tharad village, where around 250 meters of road stretch got buried under a massive landslide and boulders on September 2 morning following torrential rains across the region.
Since then, the road maintenance agency, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), has been struggling to restore this vital road connectivity, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway, Ramban, Raja Adil Hamid and Project Director NHAI, Shubham Yadoo, are monitoring ongoing road restoration work at Tharad, Udhampur.
Due to the blockade of the highway, hundreds of load carriers carrying essential supplies for Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts and Kashmir have been stranded at different locations between Lakhanpur-Madhopur and Udhampur since August 26.
Drivers and vehicle operators complain that due to the blockage of the highway, they have suffered huge losses.
On the other hand, fruit, vegetables, poultry, and essential items are vanishing from the markets of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, traffic movement on the Mughal Road continued smoothly on Monday with the regulated passage of vehicles.
According to traffic officials, heavy vehicles were allowed to move from Jammu towards Srinagar.
Contrary to this, light motor vehicles (LMVs) were permitted from both directions.
Vehicular movement on the road started in the early morning hours and was going on uninterruptedly when the last reports were received.
