Jammu-srinagar NH reopens after 2 days

JAMMU: The 294 km-long JammuSrinagar national highway, a vital surface link with the rest of the country, reopened partially late on Sunday after remaining closed for nearly two days due to major landslides near Rambanm.

The landslides had triggered a complete shutdown of vehicular movement on the highway, leaving more than a thousand vehicles stranded at different locations, and massive traffic snarls on the both ends of the blocked stretch. Hundreds of trucks, load carriers and passengers vehicles were seen parked along the highway since the wee hours of Saturday.

A major road clearance operation was launched immediately after the landslide but intermittent rains hampered the early reopening of the arterial road, an official told PTI.

“After hectic efforts, the road was cleared for one-way traffic this evening and accordingly the stranded vehicles are being allowed towards their respective destinations,”the official said.

They said the road clearance operation was still going on in full swing to remove the remaining debris, the official added.

Earlier in the day, the authorities used explosives to blast the huge rocks which had rolled down on the highway.

The landslides were triggered by rains in Ramsoo and Magarkote areas of Ramban district on early Saturday morning.

Though the landslides from a couple of lactations were cleared on Saturday evening, but a fresh landslide again blocked the highway near Ramsoo town.

On Sunday, a few stranded passengers were seen crossing the affected area on foot to reach other side of the highway for their onward journey to their respective destinations. While number of vehicles have returned to the places of their origin.

More than 1,000 vehicles were stranded at various locations on the highway including Udhampur, Kud, Ramban, Ramsoo and Qazigund.

Meanwhile, hundreds on the stranded passengers had a night halt at Ramban, in a camp established by the local administration, where they were provided free lodging and food.