Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 10: Over 550 vehicles crossed over to Kashmir after traffic was restored on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on third day of its closure near Ramban this evening, while it was again blocked at around 7. 45 pm.
Official sources said that busy National Highway which was blocked after falling of boulders and massive landslides at Digdol and Monkey Morh about 10 km ahead of Ramban on Wednesday evening was restored this evening for one way traffic. Over 2000 vehicles remained stranded and passengers had to suffer badly on Highway as HCC and NHIA authorities failed to restore the road.
Mounting pressure from the Deputy Commissioner Ramban and Chief Secretary over a dozen machines were engaged by the HCC today and the road was cleared at around 4.45 pm.
DC Ramban, Showkat Aijaz Bhat also visited the spot and inspected road clearance work. He also took stock of facilities being provided to the stranded passengers by the Administration including water supply through tankers.
The stranded vehicles for Kashmir were allowed first. Between 4.45 pm and 7.45 pm the road was blocked at about a dozen times due to falling of boulders continuously. The highway was again blocked at 7.45 pm in view of falling of big boulders at Digdol and it could not be cleared till the filing of this report late evening.
Meanwhile, while supervising road clearance work, a senior engineer (Construction Head, Ramban Sector) of HCC Company, Tejbir Singh was injured due to shooting stones at the site. He fell down and received multiple injuries and was removed to hospital at Ramban this afternoon.
IG Traffic, J&K Alok Kumar said that the highway at Digdol was restored at around 4.45 pm and about 550 vehicles including 300 trucks and oil tankers have been cleared for Kashmir. He said it remained opened hardly for 3 hours and was again blocked, But during these three hours as well, the traffic was disrupted for over a dozen times due to frequent falling of boulders and shooting stones. He said machines of HCC were on the job to clear the highway but it was very risky to execute work during night hours in the darkness.
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