Portion of highway damaged at Udhampur
Power supply still snapped in many hilly areas
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 24: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and several other key roads continued to be closed on the second consecutive day today while power supply to the many hilly and rural areas could not be restored today after heavy rain and snowfall.
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A portion of National Highway was damaged due to rain near the office of Project Director NHAI at Udhampur while an under pass of the Highway near Sangoor Chowk at Udhampur turned water logged, leading to strong public protest. This damaged portion was also earlier damaged during August-September 2025 rains and was repaired.
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In view of heavy snowfall the people are facing lot of difficulties in shifting patients from the snow clad mountainous areas of Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch. The reports of damage to several houses is also being received from these areas due to heavy snowfall. At least 25 houses have been damaged in Doda area while electric poles and transformers have gone out of order due to snowfall in many hilly areas. A house in Loran area of Poonch collapsed due to heavy snowfall.
-Excelsior/Rafi Choudhary
An official said that massive road clearance operations were underway to restore traffic on the Jammu -Srinagar National Highway and other key roads which remained closed for the second day on Saturday due to slippery conditions at different stretches following snowfall.
Batote-Kishtwar road is also still closed besides Mughal Road, Kishtwar -Sinthan Top -Kokernag road, Jammu- Srinagar-Leh highway and Bhaderwah-Bani-Basohli-Pathankot highway.
IG Traffic J&K, Suleman Choudhary told the Excelsior late this evening that Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) is still closed due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions between Nachlana and Navyug Tunnel besides a few other spots. He said no movement of vehicles from Jammu-Udhampur or Srinagar-Anantnag side will be allowed on Sunday.
He further disclosed that Batote- Doda-Kishtwar highway was also closed besides Mughal Road and Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway. He said that the men and machines of NHAI are on the job to clear the highway and Traffic Police officials are closely monitoring the restoration work. The people moving towards Katra, Udhampur and Reasi from jammu side must keep Aadhar Card/ I-Card with them.
Project Director, NHAI Udhampur Ramban Section, Shubam Yadav said that the snow between Navyug Tunnel and Ramsu was cleared today and about 800 stranded vehicles were cleared. The slow and single movement of vehicles from both sides can be allowed if the weather remains clear but the highway is being widened further to ensure better movement of the traffic along both the tubes. The Project Director said their machines are on the job round the clock to clear snow from Banihal and Nashri section of the highway.
Project Director NHAI Udhampur Anuj Kumar Singh claimed that due to over light rain on Friday, a portion of National Highway- 44 got damaged. He said the filling has sunk and the road will be repaired shortly. He said the NHAI will take action against the contractor agency Bandh & Coy of Srinagar. When asked how this portion got damaged again within 5-6 months of repair, the Project Director tried to downplay the incident and said it is not a major issue. It will be repaired shortly and made traffic worthy and there was no need to blacklist the contractor.
Meanwhile, many tourists got trapped at Patnitop today as the snow could not be cleared till this afternoon. They held protest against the NHAI and local administration. The road could be cleared from Kud side in the evening and some of the stranded vehicles were cleared in the evening.
Hundreds of commuters were evacuated to safety and provided food and shelter by the Army, police and civil administration after they were left stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said.
Amid unprecedented snowfall and extreme weather conditions affecting the NH-44 axis, Army once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, extending timely support to stranded people, including tourists. Troops from Nachlana Army camp responded swiftly to multiple distress situations caused by heavy snowfall, road blockages and sub-zero temperatures, an Army officer said.
He said several vehicles carrying civilians and tourists were stranded along NH-44, leaving elderly persons, women, children and men exposed to harsh weather without adequate food, water or medical support.
Army personnel immediately reached the affected people and provided food, drinking water, hot tea and essential medical first aid, ensuring safety and relief to all those in need, the official said.
In a parallel operation, 32 martial arts cadets of Warriors Taekwondo Academy, accompanied by their coaches and parents, were stranded near Nachlana due to sudden and intense snowfall.
“With no access to food, water or shelter, the group faced severe hardship especially the young children. Demonstrating compassion and professionalism, Army troops evacuated them to Nachlana Camp, where they were provided warm meals, drinking water, first aid, warm clothing and safe accommodation until weather conditions improved and snowfall subsided,” the official said.
On a distress call from stranded passengers and local railway officials at Sangaldan Railway Station, the official said Army troops from Sangaldan Army Camp braved snow to provide essentials to 65 stranded passengers on Friday.
Reports from Doda said that despite heavy snowfall in the Bhallessa-Bhargi area of Doda district, a critically injured patient was evacuated today due to the timely and courageous efforts of the J&K Police Gandoh.
The patient, identified as Javid Ahmed, son of Atta Mohammad, resident of Tanta Batogra, Kahara, sustained serious injuries after falling from a tree in the morning hours. Due to nearly three feet of snowfall and blocked roads, normal vehicular movement was impossible.
Demonstrating exceptional dedication and commitment to duty, a police team from Gandoh, under the leadership of SDPO and SHO Gandoh, carried the patient on a stretcher on their shoulders for approximately 10 kilometers through extremely difficult and snow-covered terrain to ensure timely medical attention.
The swift action and selfless service of the police personnel played a crucial role in saving the life of the injured person. The local residents of the area highly appreciated the heroic efforts, and humanitarian approach of the J&K Police under such harsh weather conditions.
With the improvement of weather today after two days of continuous snowfall, local administration deployed multiple machines to clear the snow from the roads of Bhaderwah town.
AEE Mechanical Division Manjeet Kotwal informed that half a dozen snow clearing machines have been put into service to clear all the roads of the town by this evening but appealed to people not to venture out in the markets unnecessarily as it delays and hampers the smooth operation of machines.
According to officials 2 ft of snow accumulated in Bhaderwah town during last two days while at famous tourist destinations Guldanda and Chattargalla, 5 and 7ft of snow was recorded.
Reports from Dudu- Basantgarh and Latti belt said that fruit trees/ plants have suffered massive damage due to snowfall. The road was still closed and the power supply could not be restored.
Similar reports of power supply disruptions have been received from many areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Mahore, Budhal- Rajouri and Poonch villages.
Meanwhile, fresh snowfall across the scenic Pir Panjal region has transformed the area into a breathtaking winter landscape, attracting the attention of tourists and nature enthusiasts. Snow-covered destinations such as DKG, Bufliaz, Koteranka, and adjoining high-altitude areas have witnessed increased interest from visitors, highlighting the region’s growing tourism potential.
However, heavy snowfall has led to the temporary closure of several key roads, including the Thannamandi-DKG-Bufliaz road, forcing tourists to return midway and restricting access to prominent tourist spots. Local tourism stakeholders and residents have stressed the need for prompt road clearance to ensure safe and smooth movement of visitors.
The Jammu-Poonch National Highway was also closed at BG due to snow accumulation but was reopened this afternoon after clearance operations, restoring crucial connectivity. Similarly, roads in Koteranka, Budhal, and other surrounding areas remained affected, impacting both tourist movement and daily life.
Residents of the region have emphasized that while snowfall enhances the natural charm of Pir Panjal, sustained tourism growth depends on reliable winter infrastructure and timely restoration of road connectivity. They have urged the authorities to prioritize road clearance up to Bufliaz and other tourist hubs to fully harness the region’s winter tourism potential.
Meanwhile, Gool Police received a distress call that three persons namely -Manzoor Ahad son of Mohd Shafi from Sangroo; Abdul Rashid son of Abdul Aziz from Shikari and Mohd Hafiz, son of Abdul Rashid hailing from Sangroo in Tehsil Mohore were trapped in heavy snow near Potato Farm while they were travelling from Gool towards Mahore. On the receipt of this information, an immediate joint rescue operation alongwith team members of GREF was launched. A police party comprising of PSI Lovish Kumar, PSI Dheeraj Saini, PSI Maqsood Ahmed, SPO Basit Ali, SPO Mubarak Ali, SPO Sajjad Ahmed and SPO Ashish Singh rushed to the spot
After trekking for approximately nine kilometers through snow bound terrain and hostile weather conditions, the police team and the GREF members successfully traced and rescued all the stranded travellers. They were safely brought to Gool town, where necessary medical assistance is being provided to them.
A senior PDD official said that in the aftermath of incessant rainfall and heavy snowfall across various parts of the Jammu Division, Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) has undertaken power restoration works on a war-footing to normalize electricity supply at the earliest.
As a result of restoration efforts, the power load of JPDCL has been progressively enhanced and has presently reached 944 MW, as against the normal average running load of approximately 1056 MW, reflecting significant improvement in supply conditions.
At the Sub-Transmission level, 165 out of 181 numbers of 66/33 kV lines have been restored. Further, 440 out of a total of 483 Receiving Stations, accounting for 91% stand restored.
Similarly, at the Distribution level, 987 out of 1373 numbers of 11 kV feeders have been restored. Further, 36,491 Distribution Transformers out of a total of 49,858, accounting for 73.19%, have been energised, while restoration of the remaining accessible feeders and Distribution Transformers is being taken up on priority basis.
Power supply in urban areas has been restored to a large extent, including essential and dedicated feeders catering to critical services. With improving weather and continuous ground-level monitoring, power supply in higher reaches and interior locations is expected to be restored progressively in the shortest possible time, he added.
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