‘80% power supply restored in hilly areas’
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 25: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was restored today after remaining closed for more than two days due to heavy snowfall while not much efforts were being utilized to clear Chenani-Kud-Patnitop-Batote stretch of the old alignment of the National Highway.
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The Power Development Department authorities in Jammu said that while electricity supply has been restored to most of the towns of Jammu region, but some mountainous areas are still left. They claimed to have cleared 80 % of such areas by this evening.
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Inspector General of Police (Traffic), Suleman Choudhary told the ‘Excelsior’ that Jammu-Srinagar Highway was cleared by the NHAI in the morning but the normal traffic was restored at around 11.30 am. He said the area between Ramsu and Navyug Tunnel was problematic and it was cleared by the machines of the NHAI by this morning. All the stranded vehicles were cleared first and later, the fresh traffic from Udhampur-Jammu and Qazigund-Anantnag side was also restored.
The IG Traffic further said that since Chenani-Kud-Patnitop-Batote stretch of the highway has not yet been cleared. The vehicles with fuel/LPG supply could not be dispatched to Kashmir and Chenab region.
” I talked to NHAI officials at Jammu and asked them to clear this stretch of the highway on priority. They have now expedited the work and I hope the fuel supply will be restored by tomorrow after clearance of snow from this stretch,” the IGP Traffic maintained.
Choudhary further said that Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway has also been cleared while Srinagar- Kargil-Leh highway could not be restored today. Moreover, there is no hope of reopening of Mughal Road and Kishtwar Sinthan-Anantnag road due to accumulation of heavy snow on the passes.
It is pertinent to mention here that due to very poor response to the snow clearance activity in Kud-Patnitop area, the tourists had staged protest against the NHAI and the local administration. Even the local hoteliers complained of non-clearance of snow from the old highway alignment between Chenani and Batote. They said Gulmarg and Pahalgam roads were cleared on the very first day while the tourist destinations of Jammu region including Patnitop and Bhaderwah were neglected. Even up to Sunday afternoon, only single and narrow passage through snow had been cleared between Kud and Patnitop. Moreover, no snow cutters and only a few JCBs were being used to clear snow by the authorities.
Project Director, NHAI Udhampur, Anuj Kumar Singh, however, claimed that work on this stretch was going on even during the night. He said by tomorrow morning, hopefully, the Kud-Patnitop-Batote stretch will be cleared. The stranded tourists had been rescued on the same day in the afternoon and others trapped in the inner circular road by evening. The road from Kessal Morh to the hotels area up to Nag temple side has also been cleared and the narrow passages are being widened now. He claimed that single traffic to this road was restored yesterday and trapped vehicles cleared. By tomorrow morning, the entire stretch will be cleared for both side movement of the fuel tankers besides other normal traffic, he added.
Meanwhile, reports from far-flung areas of Jammu region said that many remote areas of Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Reasi, Poonch, and Rajouri are without power supply. The reports from Budhal, parts of Mendhar, Paddar, Chhatroo, Dudu-Basatgarh, Mandi, Loaran, Thannamandi, Gool, Mahore and Surankote said that power supply could not be restored there till this evening.
Chief Engineer, PDD /JPDCL Jammu, Arshed Reshi said that power has been restored to most of the towns in the region. But in some remote and snow bound areas, it could not be restored. The work has been launched on war- footing. He claimed that in Poonch-Rajouri 97% and in Udhampur- Reasi 98 % power supply has been restored. Supply was restored to Kotranka area this evening, Budhal will be covered tomorrow. Moreover, some snowbound areas of Banihal, Gool, Gandoh, Chhatroo, Paddar besides Dudu Sub Division will be covered by tomorrow and the day after.
He said power infra has suffered huge damage due to massive snofall. More than 200 transformers and scores of poles/ towers are still damaged while many have been repaired and reinstalled. Reshi said supply of transformers is being ensured from Divisional level and Central workshops while many are being repaired and transported to the affected areas.
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