Jammu-Srinagar highway closed again due to fresh landslides

Jammu : The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed again due to fresh landslides in Ramban district on Tuesday, triggering massive traffic jams on the stretch, officials sources said.

Many truckers, who are stranded on the highway for the past several days, blamed the traffic management authorities for not allowing them to move on, causing them huge financial losses as perishable goods they carry have been damaged.

The highway was closed for traffic due to a landslide in the Mehar area of Ramban, the official sources said.

The men and machines are working to clear the highway of the debris and shooting stones, which pose a grave danger to the lives of the people, they said.

Massive traffic jams were seen at many places on the highway.

The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway was reopened for traffic on Monday after remaining closed for the past three days owing to heavy snowfall and multiple landslides in Ramban district.

The highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for traffic on Friday afternoon, shortly after it was opened after two days closure, following heavy snowfall and multiple landslides between Chanderkote and Ramsu.

While passenger vehicles and some vehicles carrying essentials were allowed to move towards the Kashmir Valley on Monday, others remained stranded on the stretch.

Some vehicle owners protested over their halt on the highway and said the perishable items in their vehicles have destroyed.

“We are stranded on the highway for the past five days. We are carrying vegetables and most of them have perished. If they allow vehicles carrying chicken, why they have halted vehicles carrying vegetables. It has caused us a grave loss,” a trucker, Sadiq, told reporters.–(PTI)