Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 25: At least 700 passenger vehicles were stranded on the road after the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed at Ramsu in Ramban area this morning.
Official sources said that after fresh land slides at Mom Passi in Ramsu area, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was blocked at around 11 am today. Till late tonight the highway could not be restored as it was raining in the area and shooting stones continued at this point, posing risk to the lives of machines operators.
IGP Traffic, Alok Kumar told the Excelsior that before the closure of highway, the Traffic police authorities pushed around 120 oil/ fuel tankers towards Kashmir, providing little relief to the public. He said about 600 more oil tankers are stranded in Ramban and Chenani-Kud area while with the closure of the highway at Mom Passi this morning, around 700 light and medium passenger vehicles have been stranded between Ramsu and Banihal.
Kumar said today was the down convoy (Sgr to Jmu) and no restoration work could be executed by the road clearing agency at Mom Passi due to shooting stones continuously. More than 2500 passengers have been facilitated by the District Administration in Banihal area. The Army help has also been sought. Many vehicles have been brought back to safer places at Banihal while around 150 LMVs were still between Panthyal and Banihal. As the weather improves, the highway will be restored by tomorrow, the IG Traffic said.
Referring to the shortage of essentials and fuel in Kashmir, IG said about 700 oil/ LPG tankers are on way to Kashmir. Around 120 tankers crossed over to Valley before 11 am today after the sinking road was restored near Kud at around 6.30 am today. He said on Sunday around 2300 loaded trucks and 1500 passenger/ light motor vehicles crossed over to Kashmir.
Meanwhile, a Met spokesperson said that light rain and snow would occur at fairly widespread to widespread places in Kashmir valley during the next 48 hours. “The weather will slightly improve on Wednesday and Thursday with rain and snow at isolated places,” he said.
He, however, said fresh Western disturbances, which originated from the Arabian Sea and approaching the region through Afghanistan and Pakistan, will reach the region on Friday. “This WD will again lead to rain and snow at fairly widespread places in Kashmir valley,” he added.
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