Heavy snowfall, rainfall, shooting stones chokes vehicular movement on Sgr-Jammu highway

Re-opening of crucial highway depends on fair weather conditions only: SSP NHW SS Johar

Jammu, Jan 05 (KNO): Heavy snowfall coupled with rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir has not only affected normal life but has also hampered surface traffic in a number of areas besides stalling vehicular movement on Jammu Srinagar national highway that connects winter and summer capitals of Jammu and Kashmir.

The national highway is not only the main surface link connecting Jammu with Srinagar but it also connects Chenab valley with Jammu divisional headquarter.

Officials told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the highway is blocked due to snow accumulation, shooting stones and landslides at around a dozen places between Udhampur district headquarter and Jawahar Tunnel of Ramban district.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic NHW, JS Johar told KNO that at Samroli in Udhampur, land slide incident took place in which a heavy stone also fell on highway closing it for traffic and not only the valley based traffic but movement of vehicles from Chenab valley also got affected and remained close for some hours.

“The traffic from the Chenab valley as well as traffic between Jammu and Srinagar also remained affected due to this slide,” he said, adding that slide has been cleared and traffic stand restore from the spot.

He further informed that at around twelve more locations between Udhampur and Jawahar Tunnel and especially in Ramban District jurisdiction, continuous land slide, mud-slide and shooting stones have resulted closure of national highway.

” At Dlawas and Nashri, there is mud slide while at Peera, Cafteria Morh, Monkey Morh, Marog 3 and at around six other places, there are continuous landslide and shooting stones barring authorities to restore the highway,” said SSP JS Johar.

He further added that restoration of highway depends upon fair weather conditions only.

When asked about number of vehicles plying between Jammu and Srinagar that are stuck over highway, SSP Johar said that no vehicle is presently stuck on highway.

Officer also informed that on Monday,  around 900 hundred vehicles were facilitated to move over highway which included around four hundred and ninety passenger vehicles and remaining were goods carrier vehicles especially tankers of fuel and trucks carrying perishable daily usable—(KNO)