Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Sept 29: Lack of coordination between the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and district administration Kathua resulted in to a heavy traffic jam on 15 km long stretch of Jammu -Pathankot National Highway from Chan Aroarian to Dayala Chak this evening and continued up to late night hours.
According to reports, there was a huge traffic jam on both sides of Highway up to 15 kms from Chan Arorian to Dayala Chak due to the lack of coordination and lapses on part of NHAI and district administration Kathua putting the people especially the commuters to lot of trouble.
According to sources the officers of NHAI without applying their mind started the black topping of NH ten days ago when the holy Navratra festival and marriage season started blocking one tube of Highway and diverting the entire traffic from another tube. The movement of people increased on Highway as the devotees from different parts of the country in large numbers were entering the State to have the pilgrimage of holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, Sukhrala Mata, Chechi Mata, Bala Sundri and other shrines in different parts of Kathua district with the result the movement of vehicular traffic on National Highway also increased considerably. Besides , the rush of vehicular traffic on Highway also increased due to start of marriage season as many marriage halls in twin districts of Kathua and Samba are also situated along the NH, sources added.
Sources said the traffic problem aggravated on Highway during last ten days but neither the NHAI nor the district administration or Traffic Police took its cognizance and today when it was the culmination of nine -day long Navratra festival, the people in large numbers were on their way to pilgrimage places and shrines to participate in concluding function of Durga pooja besides immersion of Saakh into rivers. This was coupled with the marriage ceremonies which were being performed in various marriage halls situated along the NH in twin districts.
As the rush increased on Highway the movement of vehicular traffic was impeded due to its blacktopping by NHAI due to the vehicle meant for carrying the macadam blocked a portion of Highway which resulted into a huge traffic jam since 5pm this evening and hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the NH.
Sources said that there was a huge jam of traffic on both sides up to 15 km long stretch of NH from Chan Arorian to Dayala Chak and the people especially the old passengers and children were put to lot of trouble in this hot and humid temperature. There was such a huge jam that the police and traffic police also failed to restore the traffic on NH up to 10-30 pm.
Reports reaching here said that even the movement of traffic was also very slow from Lakhanpur to jam site and opening of NH was not possible even up to midnight. As there was no way out to end the jam the authorities at 11pm diverted the traffic via Old Samba Kathua road both from Chadwal and Raj Bagh side. Besides, some vehicles were diverted from Old road via Hiranagar to regulate the traffic on NH.
Meanwhile, the Jammu- Akhnoor road also remained blocked for over three hours at Paloura and there was a huge traffic jam on the road due to the increasing rush of the people to participate in marriage ceremonies being solemnized in various marriage halls situated on the road from Paloura to Nagbani. Despite the hard efforts the traffic was not restored fully on this busy road upto 11 pm also.
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