Jammu, June 24 :The restoration work on landslide and shooting stones hit 280-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway is being carried out on a war footing as Shri Amarnath Yatra is starting from June 30.
The first batch of Shri Amarnath Yatra will leave from Jammu on June 29 from Yatri Niwas, Bhagwati Nagar.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was shut on Tuesday-Wednesday due to landslide and shooting stones triggered by heavy rains near Panthyal on Ramban-Banihal road stretch while a portion of road was washed away near Samroli after a huge boulder blocked the connectivity in Udhampur district.
“The restoration work on the highway is being carried on a war footing for smooth flow of traffic both ways as weather has improved,” said an official.
He said men and machinery have been pressed into service and are engaged round the clock to restore the traffic.
“Hundreds of vehicles including LMVs, trucks and others are stranded on the highway at Banihal in Ramban and Udhampur districts,” he said.
The official added that once the road is through, the priority is to clear the stranded vehicles, adding, “the passengers stranded on the highway are being served meals and the required medicines.”
He further added that around 600 Kashmir bound trucks carrying essential commodities, stranded on the highway near Panthyal, have been cleared.
The official further said around 1400 vehicles are stranded on either side of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway- the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Masrat-ul-Islam told UNI that the stretch between Ramban and Banihal is through for one way traffic.
“The labourers and machinery remained on toes to clear the mudslide and landslide to restore the road for traffic,” said the Deputy Commissioner.
Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar on Thursday assessed the ground situation and conducted an extensive tour of landslide hit areas on National Highway in District Udhampur.
He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Krittika Jyotsna, SSP Vinod Kumar, and other officials.
The officials inspected the landslide spot near Toldi Nallah -Samroli stretch of National Highway, where men and machinery have been deployed for expeditious clearance of road.
The Divisional Commissioner asked the executing agencies to gear up men and machinery to remove landslides from national highways and ensure that the road was made traffic worthy at the earliest.
The DC apprised the Divisional Commissioner that efforts were being made to restore the National Highway.
She the men and machinery were working on war footing to restore National Highway- 44 and partial restoration of vehicular movement was expected within 24 hours.
It was informed that the road clearance work on National Highway in Ramban District has almost been completed while men and machinery was in place for clearance of stretches closed due to landslides.
The District Administration Ramban was providing shelter (accommodation) to passengers stranded in the district.
The administration was also providing food facilities regularly.
The Mughal road was also through for traffic, an official added.
However, many yatries have also been stopped at Lakhapur-Kathua gateway due to closure of the highway.
