Rajouri, July 30,: Even after the expiry of 13 days, the strategically important Thannamandi–DKG–Bufliaz road in Rajouri district remained closed to traffic following extensive damage caused by heavy rainfall, cloudbursts and landslides earlier this month.
The road, a major Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project linking the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley, suffered extensive damage after a cloudburst on July 19 triggered flash floods and massive landslides.
The floods washed away several stretches of the newly constructed road, damaged culverts and uprooted large trees at multiple locations between Thannamandi and Bufliaz, severely disrupting connectivity.
Despite continuous restoration efforts, traffic had not been restored on the route by Thursday. The BRO continued repair and clearance operations on a war footing to reopen the highway at the earliest.
In the meantime, authorities diverted traffic through the Bimber Gali (BG) route while restoration work continued.
Officials said the damaged road would be reopened only after the affected stretches were stabilised and declared safe for vehicular movement. [KNT]
