The Jammu and Srinagar national highway remained shut for the fourth consecutive day on Friday following multiple landslides at several locations, officials said.
However, the inter-regional Mughal Road, connecting Jammu’s Poonch district with Kashmir’s Shopian district, was declared open for vehicular traffic after three days of suspension.
Traffic Department officials said, “The Jammu-Srinagar highway and Sinthan Road are shut for vehicular movement due to landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones at several places.”
The highway has remained shut since August 26 due to several landslides, mudslides, and flash floods reported from across the Jammu division.
The highway has remained closed for the past 10 days, disrupting the only all-weather road that connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country.
According to official statistics, the closure of highways and other inter-regional roads to Kashmir has left more than 3,700 vehicles getting stuck at various places from Kathua to Kashmir.
Besides this, important highways, including the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway, which was closed for three days, have also been partially restored to facilitate vehicular movement after clearance of the landslide debris, they said.
Meanwhile, a traffic advisory said, “The highway is still closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar and vice versa due to road blockages between Jakheni and Bali Nallah.”
The major affected areas include Ramban, Banihal, Shalgadi, Nachilana, Panthyal, Marooq and Peerah, where several retaining walls and road stretches were washed away by heavy landslides during the past ten days.
Jammu and Kashmir has been battered by continuous heavy rains, cloudbursts, triggering flash floods, causing massive destruction.
A total of more than 130 people have been killed in the rain-related incidents across the UT since August 14.
Also Read: Vaishno Devi Yatra suspended for 5th day after landslides
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