Landslide at Mehar closes Srinagar-Jammu highway
JAMMU : A massive landslide at Mehar in Ramban district late on Monday night blocked the 294-kilometre long Jammu-Srinagar national highway — the only all-weather surface link to Kashmir. Subsequently, traffic movement remained suspended on Tuesday.
“At around 9 pm last night (Monday), a massive landslide completely blocked the highway at Mehar in Ramban district. It has been the biggest landslide in the past one month,” SSP national highway Sanjay Bhagat said.
Consequently, traffic movemement was closed on the highway, he added.
“Men and machinery from the Border Roads Organisation and other allied agencies were immediately pressed into service. They are working round-the-clock and even now three machines and a large number of men are at work to remove debris from the highway,” he said.
Bhagat further said that on Tuesday, upward traffic from Jammu to Srinagar had to ply on the highway but the landslide didn’t allow any movement to Srinagar. A local from Ramban said that though debris was yet to be cleared from the highway, local traffic of light motor vehicles plied via an old alignment.
“The train connectivity between Qazigund and Banihal is on but restoration of the highway will take time,” he said.
It will take at least one day to clear the highway, he said. According to reports, over 500 vehicles are stranded at various places.