SLIPS, SLIDES, SILENCE: A road half-built, half-buried
Ramban, Sep 23: More than a decade after the launch of the ambitious four-laning project of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), the Udhampur to Banihal stretch remains riddled with landslides, road subsidence, tunnel collapses, and incomplete infrastructure, sparking growing public outrage and renewed questions about planning, safety, and accountability.
There are around one dozen vulnerable spots where rains lead to frequent landslides, shooting stones between Udhampur-Banihal NH stretch.
TROUBLE SPOTS
The most vulnerable spots between Udhampur and Ramban section of National Highway Kherai, Balli Nullah, Samroli, Near Dewal bridge, Tharad, Nashri, Dalwass, Peeda, Mehad - Cafeteria stretch.
The critical spots between Ramban and Banihal section are Shalgadi, Seri, Sita Ram Passi, Maroog, Kela Morh, Anokhifall, Battery Chasma, Panthyal, areas of Ramsu, Gangroo, Sherbibi, Kishtwari Pather and Rampadi.
UNFINISHED WORK, ENDURING HARDSHIPS
The project to widen the crucial highway – launched over 10 years ago - was aimed at easing travel between Jammu and Srinagar. While much of the highway has been expanded, several critical stretches, including Dalwass and the Mehar-Cafeteria Morh section between Udhampur and Ramban, remain incomplete or poorly executed.
Locals and commuters say that the so-called “completion” of the highway was done “by hook or by crook,” without scientific planning or safety measures.
“Dalwass has been sinking since 2020. Over 39 homes and more than 300 kanals of farmland have been lost. A flyover was eventually built, but the land continues to slide,” said Abdul Majid, a resident of the affected area,
NATURE’S FURY, MAN-MADE DISASTER
Locals and experts alike blame the unscientific earth-cutting, lack of slope stabilization, and insufficient drainage systems for the repeated tragedies on the highway.
On August 25 and again on September 2, heavy rains washed away major portions of the down-road tube (Jammu-bound) between Chenani and Udhampur. The Tawi River, underestimated during project planning, surged past weak protection walls, wreaking havoc.
“From the beginning, NHAI ignored the river’s monsoon potential. They built small culverts instead of bridges, and now we are paying the price,” said a Chenani-based farmer whose land was lost to flash floods.
VILLAGES CRUMBLING, PROTESTS IGNORED
Villagers in Thanari, Sawani, Neera, Ashri, and Dalwass continue to face the brunt of the negligence. In Sawani village, land above the Kunfer-Peeda tunnel’s north portal began sinking earlier this year, affecting a 2-km area. In Ashri, residents claim their homes have become unsafe due to reckless hill-cutting above the Mehar–Cafeteria stretch.
"We protested multiple times over the last four years. Not a single rupee in compensation has been given to us," said Shakeela Begum of Dalwass.
Despite repeated pleas, no significant action has been taken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or the district administration.
RECURRING LANDSLIDES, BLOCKADES, ACCIDENTS
The situation on the Ramban–Banihal stretch is no better. Locals have identified Seri, Kelamorh, Maroog, and the Panthyal-Magarkote tunnel portals as persistent danger zones.
On April 20, landslides buried several vehicles at Seri, Kelamorh, Karool, and near Tunnel T2, causing massive traffic jams and property loss.
The Panthyal stretch, long known for shooting stones, continues to be a hazard due to the absence of rock stabilization.
“Tunnel T2 gets blocked every time it rains. There’s no proper drainage, and the water just gushes onto the road,” said Mushtaq Ahmad from Kelamorh.
While two bridges connecting Magarkote with Ramsu have been completed, the Ramsu flyover project remains pending, leaving a critical gap in the highway’s continuity.
OFFICIAL APATHY, LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
While NHAI officials claim that “work is ongoing,” and about 50 percent of the Ramban-Banihal sector is complete, the ground reality paints a grim picture.
Contractors have reportedly abandoned work on key tunneling projects. In Mehar, tunneling work that began with fanfare was halted in 2024, with only a temporary "cut and cover" canopy tunnel constructed in June 2024 to offer partial relief.
Locals say unless the tunnel work is completed, the stretch will continue to be plagued by landslides and accidents
PUBLIC DEMANDS MOUNT
Residents across affected areas are now demanding immediate compensation for displaced families, scientific audit of the construction practices, completion of pending tunnels, flyovers, and retaining walls, implementation of rock stabilisation and afforestation, and strict action against negligent contractors.
“The highway was supposed to connect us to the future. Instead, it’s dragging us into ruin,” said Shabir Hussain, a schoolteacher from Ramban.
WAY FORWARD
Experts and local leaders are urging the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and NHAI to conduct an independent technical audit, enforce engineering standards, and implement disaster mitigation measures on an urgent basis.
As the highway continues to serve as the only lifeline to Kashmir, the risks posed by poor planning and weak infrastructure are no longer acceptable – not just to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but to the nation as well.
People, experts are now urging the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to initiate an independent technical audit and redesign vulnerable stretches using geology-sensitive and climate-resilient approaches.
Without urgent intervention, they warn that the Udhampur–Banihal stretch may remain one of India’s most dangerous highways.
