Srinagar, July 11:The traffic on Jammu-Srinagar national highway was partially restored on Tuesday after being closed for five days due to landslides.
More than 5000 pilgrims stranded in their vehicles were allowed to proceed towards Srinagar. Officials said the traffic on the highway will be fully restored on Wednesday.
Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh, who visited the affected areas of Ramban, said that all stranded vehicles will be cleared by Tuesday evening. He praised the concerned agencies for their commendable job in restoring the highway in record time.
“At Chamb Seri in Ramban, a portion has been black topped while the remaining portion has to be blacktopped as well. However, at Panthal, the road stretch between the two tunnels had caved in and the Highway Authorities managed an alternate motorable stretch within the shortest possible time,” he said.
DGP Singh said that stranded vehicles, especially those carrying pilgrims, were given priority to move further towards Srinagar. He advised people to follow traffic advisories to avoid traffic jams along the highway.
“No fresh traffic will be allowed unless all stranded vehicles are cleared along the highway,” DGP Singh said.
He was accompanied by IGP Traffic B. S. Tuti and other senior officers. The DGP also visited yatri transit camps at Banihal and Walnut factory in Anantnag.
Project Director NHAI officer Parshotam Kumar briefed the DGP about the progress of the ongoing maintenance work.
The DGP instructed the executing agency to complete the work on war footing and directed to keep adequate machinery at all vulnerable places to clear roads.
He also directed senior traffic and jurisdictional officers to formulate a traffic plan for smooth flow of traffic movement, adding that there would be heavy rush of vehicles in view of restriction of traffic movement during the last few days. He directed for utilization of manpower and machinery in a systematic way.
Mohan Kumar, a local from Lucknow who along with 12 yatris was stranded in Udhampur said that during the past five days, the UT administration was on toes to construct the road as it was washed away at multiple places.
“We are thankful to the local administration, Police, NHAI, BRO and other agencies for working day and night to restore the highway. It is a sigh of relief after five days for us,” he said.
Pawan Khatra from Chhattisgarh who also was stranded along with other pilgrims at Yatri Niwas Udhampur said that adequate arrangements were in place for the pilgrims during the five days. “We faced not a single problem. The way the Jammu and Kashmir administration worked during the past five days to reopen the highway is commendable,” he said.
The highway was blocked on Saturday after a massive landslide washed away the road near the newly built Panthyal tunnel.
Earlier on Saturday, the highway was blocked after a massive landslide washed away the road near the newly built Panthyal tunnel.
While a major portion of the highway sank at Chamba Seri Ramban on Sunday, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded along both sides of the highway.
Meanwhile, subject to fair weather and good road condition, vehicular movement on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road shall be allowed on Wednesday from both sides viz Srinagar towards Kargil and vice-versa.
“LMVs followed by HMVs shall be allowed from Minamarg towards Srinagar at 7:30 am to 11:00 pm. Similarly, LMVs followed by HMVs shall be allowed from Sonamarg towards Kargil at 1 pm to 5 pm. No vehicle shall be allowed after cut off timings,” it said.
On historic Mughal Road, subject to fair weather and good road condition, vehicular movement on Mughal road shall be allowed from both sides viz. Poonch towards Shopian and vice versa. These vehicles shall be allowed from Behramgalla (Buffliaz) and Herpora (Shopian) at 6 am upto 6 pm. No vehicle shall be allowed after cut off timings, he said.
