Srinagar, Mar 19: The traffic on 270-kilometer Srinagar-Jammu highway remained disrupted due to heavy mudslides at Mehar and Rampari areas along the highway, officials said.
SSP Ramban& SSP Traffic NHW, Mohita Sharma told Rising Kashmir that mudslides and shooting stones at Mehar and Rampari disrupted traffic for several hours along the Srinagar-Jammu highway on Monday.
She said the highway was restored till late evening and presently stranded vehicles are being cleared and no fresh traffic is being allowed on the highway.
Sharma also shared a video of the shooting stones along the highway and tweeted: NH 44 update: Shooting stones at Mehar and Rampari and mudslide at various locations. NH is closed for traffic. Ask TCU before making travel plans, she added.
Meanwhile, a truck was rolled down at Digdole area of Ramban district on the highway. The driver of the truck was rescued in an injured condition and is being treated at the hospital.
Police and Civil Quick Reaction Team (QRT) have launched a rescue operation to evacuate those injured to nearby health facilities.
A traffic police official said on Tuesday, subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs Passenger/Private Cars shall be allowed from both sides on Jammu-Srinagar NHW viz Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa. TCU Jammu/Srinagar shall be liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic.
Similarly, on the Srinagar-Leh road, only one-way traffic ( Light Motor Vehicles Goods carrier 04 Chakka ) from Srinagar towards Kargil shall be allowed on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari road. These vehicles shall be allowed from Sonamarg at 0600 hrs. up to 0830 hrs. No vehicle shall be allowed after cut-off timing, the spokesman said.
Director of Meteorological Centre Kashmir, Sonam Lotus said that higher reaches received light snowfall in Kashmir and plain experienced very light rainfall.
“OnMarch 21, a brief spell of a thunderstorm with Rain likely at isolated (50-60%chance) towards evening,” he said adding that between 24- 24th March, weather will remain cloudy with intermittent rain with thunder at scattered places.
Lotus said there is no forecast of any major rain, or snowfall till the 28th March in J&K.
As per MeT data, Srinagar recorded 17.4 degrees Celsius as the maximum temperature and 7.2 °C as the minimum temperature. Jammu recorded 26.4 degrees Celsius as the maximum temperature and 14.7 °C as the minimum temperature.
Health resort Pahalgam in south Kashmir settled at 14.3 °C degrees and 2.6 °C as minimum temperatures. Ski-resort Gulmarg recorded 6.0 °C as the maximum temperature and minus 0.6°C as the minimum temperature.
