Downpour buries highway, blocks traffic. Landslide paralyses highway traffic; 250m stretch buried, Mughal Road open
Jammu: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that the restoration of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is progressing rapidly and is expected to reopen within two days.
In a post on “X” formerly called “twitter” Dr Jitendra said that over 50% of the 400 damaged roads in the region have already been restored, despite ongoing adverse weather conditions. The highway has been closed for more than ten days due to significant damage caused by heavy rainfall, which has led to landslides and mudslides. Efforts by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to restore traffic have faced setbacks due to recent downpours that washed away progress made the previous day.
Officials are working diligently to clear a 250-meter stretch of the highway that was buried under debris. The Deputy Superintendent of Traffic in Udhampur-Reasi Range confirmed that restoration work is ongoing, including blasting operations to facilitate reopening. The closure of the highway has stranded hundreds of vehicles, primarily trucks, on both sides. In the meantime, the Mughal Road, an alternate route connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts with Shopian, is open for light motor vehicles. However, the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road remains closed for the fourth consecutive day despite extensive clearance efforts.
