Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Mar 19: Fresh landslides near Drabshalla forced the closure of 110 kilometers Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway connecting Jammu and other parts of the State for the third consecutive day today.
Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on highway due to fresh landslide at Kuligarh near Drabshalla today. Some of the passengers walked on foot for 8 to 10 kilometers to reach their destination by trekking through mountainous routes.
Concerned authorities are on the spot with men and machinery and had started the work to restore the vehicular movement on the highway. But the highway remained closed, when last reports were compiled today.
“Batote-Doda-Kishtwar NH1B remained closed for the third consecutive day due to fresh landslides at Kuligarh area near Drabshalla”, a traffic police official said, adding that two days back, due to landslides and boulders, around 25 meters stretch of the road got washed away at same spot.
He informed that the restoration work was going on but today fresh landslides hit the same area, resulting into halting of the restoration work. Around one dozen workers had narrow escape, who were engaged in restoration work, he said, adding that it will take couple of days to restore the vehicular traffic.
A police official said that due to the closure of the highway, the petrol pumps in Kishtwar district turned dry. The vehicles carrying essential commodities including vegetables, fruits, ration, petrol and diesel remained stranded on the highway, due to which the people living in district Kishtwar are facing problems, he added.
When contacted, DC Kishtwar GN Balwan said that fresh landslides have halted the restoration work of the highway today. The road would be restored for vehicular movement within couple of days, he added.
“I visited the spot and asked the R&B Department team to expedite the work to restore the road for vehicular movement as soon as possible”, he stated.
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