NH remains closed for 2nd day
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Mar 13: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the second consecutive day today as road clearance operation was suspended midway because of inclement weather since yesterday, except slight improvement this morning.
As no vehicular traffic was allowed on the highway from Jammu, over 3000 trucks carrying essential supplies to Kashmir valley, are stranded at various places on the Jammu-Srinagar highway from Lakhanpur to Ramban.
After slight improvement in the weather conditions in the morning, road clearance work was started by pressing men and machinery at Nehar, Cafeteria Morh, Boom Chanderkote and other stretches of the highway in Ramban district, which were partially restored.
However, the restoration work was suspended due to heavy rains, which triggered mud- slides and shooting of stones with the result highway remained closed at Marook, Digdol, Panthyal, Mom Passi and Gangroo.
As the highway remained closed for the second consecutive day, some people were seen moving to their destination by crossing the blocked stretches on foot.
Pertinent to mention that the highway was blocked yesterday due to landslides at Gangroo, Panthyal, Hingni, Mom Passi, Battery Chashma, Khooni Nallah and Chanderkote in Banihal- Ramban section and Kheri in Udhampur district besides snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel.
Meanwhile, high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir experienced fresh spell of snowfall and plains were again lashed by rains today. The bad weather hampered restoration work and several link road in interiors remained closed because of landslides.
Doda -Marmat road remained blocked at Khellani while Doda -Bhaderwah road , Manoo -Gandoh road, Gandoh- Kota road and Gandoh – Khaljugsar also remained closed for traffic because of landslides.
Power supply in many areas of the Doda district also remained affected because of moderate fresh snowfall. The surroundings of Bhaderwah Valley, which include Ashapati, Seoj Dhar, Kailash Kund, Subar Dhar, Shankoja and Jaie, witnessed heavy snowfall while Bhaderwah town and its peripheral areas recorded moderate snowfall.
In Kathua district, Basohli-Bani road remained blocked because of landslides at Magliar for the third consecutive day while power supply in the area was also affected.
Several other roads, including Kulwanta to Ladana road in Udhampur district, Mahore to Gool and Mahore to Gulabgarh roads in Reasi district also remained closed for the second consecutive day.
The Metrology Department has predicted improvement in the weather from tomorrow following which work on restoration of closed roads is likely to resume.
Because of long spell of rains for the three consecutive days across plains of Jammu and snowfall in higher reaches, temperature has considerably plunged below normal.
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