Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Jan 25: The Jammu- Srinagar National Highway remained blocked for 6th consecutive day today as a massive fresh landslide hit the highway near Ramban while stranded Kashmir bound passengers held strong protest demonstration at Jammu Bus Stand demanding their airlifting to Srinagar.
While the light rain and snowfall this evening blocked the highway again in Jawahar Tunnel area, disrupting movement of traffic between Banihal and Kashmir, the fresh rain and snowfall was also reported from various parts of Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban and parts of south Kashmir.
With the closure of highway about 4000 trucks/load carriers are stranded at Peera/ Ramban, Chenani- Nashri, Udhampur Bypass, Dhar Road, Manwal-Mansar, Dayala-Chak-Challan Road and Lakhanpur for the last several days while about 1000 trucks are said to have been stranded on north side of the Jawahar Tunnel between Qazigund-Khannabal stretch, official sources said.
Hundreds of passengers and many Kashmir bound vehicles have also been stranded at Jammu Bus Stand and Nagrota Bypass. The stranded passengers held strong protest demonstration at Jammu Bus Stand during the day today. They raised slogans against State Administration and demanded that they should be airlifted to Kashmir. Some senior police and civil officers from District Administration arrived there and tried to pacify them.
IGP Traffic, J&K, Alok Kumar said that while shooting stones at Battery Chashma, Anokhi Fall, Gangroo and Panthyal continued throughout the day, a fresh heavy landslide at Marog, about 8 kms ahead of Ramban from Jammu side, caused another blockade on the highway during the day today. He said the men and machinery was pressed into service but it was huge volume of bounders and slides there which damaged about 300 meters portion of the highway. Even till late this evening, the highway at this point could not be cleared. Moreover light rain again started in the evening.
Kumar further said that road at Jawahar Tunnel turned slippery as light rain and snowfall started there in the evening. The local traffic was also suspended in Pir Panjal area. He said the BRO men were on the job to clear the highway and if the weather improved tomorrow, the highway will be thrown open to traffic.
“ We can not take risk as shooting stones continued at 4-5 places between Ramban and Banihal. Two persons fell victims to the shooting stones on Thursday. The Traffic Police officials and local authorities at Ramban will take a decision to restore traffic after taking review and assessment of the sliding zones,” the IGP Traffic said.
DySP, Traffic, Highway Ramban zone, Pardeep Singh said that a large portion of road sunk last evening near BDO office, Ramsu and the work was launched on war footing today to repair the highway. But at least five places between Ramban and Banihal were creating more trouble in restoration work as the shooting stones continued to hit road. Singh said major portion of highway at Marog was cleared by this evening and the work was in progress. He hoped that highway will be made operational by tomorrow if the weather remained favourable.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) cleared snow from Banihal pass / Jawahar Tunnel area. Commanding Officer Beacon Udit Dhada said that they cleared Srinagar-Jammu National Highway of snow early today. He said around 14 machines and 150 officials including operators, labourers are in continuous communication to keep the road clear for traffic.
“We kept on clearing snow and the highway open for one way traffic. Traffic has been diverted through diversion tube of Jawahar tunnel. Last night, 30 feet snow avalanche that had hit near Jawahar tunnel was also cleared,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Met spokesman said that there will be light rain and snowfall at some places across the region in next 12 to 24 hours. He also predicted snowfall in Pir Panjal area including Banihal and Ramban axis. He said up to January 30, no heavy rain or snowfall is expected across the region.
He further said that with almost clear weather for the last two days in Jammu area a sharp fall in night temperature has been experienced. However, the day temperature has shown significant improvement.
Jammu recorded a minimum temperature of 5.6 degree Celsius and maximum 16.2 degree C, holy township of Katra maximum 13.8 degree C and minimum 4.7 deg C; tourist resort Bhaderwah maximum 5.9 degree C and minimum minus 0.8 deg C; Banihal minimum minus 1.4 deg C and maximum 6.8 deg C; Batote minimum minus 1.2 degree C while Kathua town minimum 6.8 degree C and maximum 18.6 degree C temperature today.
The fresh snowfall led to drop in day temperature even as the night temperatures remained subzero in Kashmir. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius while day temperature settled at 4.2 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 10.0 degree Celsius last night and was the coldest place in the Valley, day temperature settled at minus 2.5 Degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam settled at minus 6.1 degree Celsius while Qazigund and Kokernag, recorded a low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius and minus 3.0 degrees Celsius respectively. The day temperatures of these places settled at 0.4 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees Celsius and 3.0 degrees Celsius. Drass remained the coldest place in the State with minus 19.8 degree C temperature.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, has issued fresh avalanche warning in nine avalanche prone districts of Kashmir division today. The warning has been issued for the avalanche prone areas of district Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh of the State. Khan has requested the Deputy Commissioners of all these districts to advise the people living in avalanche prone areas not to venture out to avoid the loss of lives.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
