Ramban, June 24: Srinagar Jammu National Highway near Dewalpul Samroli was partially reopened after four days for stranded passenger light, medium and heavy vehicles late Friday evening.
The partial reopening of National Highway came as a respite for hundreds of passengers after a nightmarish experience during the last four days due to its closure. However, the sufferings of thousands of others stuck at different landslide prone stretches of the Highway still remained far from addressed even on Friday.
Meanwhile, amid partial reopening, several hundreds were still stranded on and along the Qazigund section.
Srinagar Jammu National Highway was closed Tuesday afternoon following heavy rains that lashed Udhampur-Banihal sector, leading to blockade at 33 locations.
Due to the blockade of the highway, Kashmir valley, including three districts of the Chenab sub-region viz., Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban remained cut off from other parts of the country.
Traffic officials said landslide, shooting stones, flash floods, slush at around three dozen places and washing away of road stretches at Dewal-Udhampur had blocked only road link between the twin capital cities since Tuesday evening following heavy rainfall, thus leaving around 3000 vehicles, including those carrying passengers and tourists, stranded at different places on and along Srinagar Jammu National Highway.
Around 1000 stranded Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) at Ramsu, Panthyal, Digdol and Ramban were cleared after the concerned road maintenance agency (NHAI) cleared the landslides at 30 locations between Nashri and Banihal sector of highway on Thursday.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mussarat Islam, who personally monitored the road clearance operation in Ramban district, said that Nashri to Banihal stretch of highway was opened for vehicular traffic.
Police officials said on Friday afternoon oil gas tankers, heavy load carriers (trucks) carrying essential commodities for Kashmir valley, stranded at Chenani, Nashri, Chanderkote and other places, were also allowed to move towards Kashmir.
On Wednesday morning, the Srinagar Jammu National Highway had suffered extensive damages, due to massive landslide and washing away of road, affecting both the tubes of road (100 to 125 meters) stretch near Dewalpul Samroli area of Udhampur. Following it, the movement of all types of vehicles had remained suspended on National Highway.
The company engaged by NHAI had started road restoration work at Dewalpul area of Udhampur Wednesday afternoon after improvement in weather conditions. To speed up the clearance process, the road maintenance agency carried out blasting to remove the heavy boulders accumulated on the road at Dewal Udhampur. It carried restoration work round the clock and finally prepared a road stretch Friday evening.
Officials said, after reopening of the road only Jammu bound stranded passenger Light Motor vehicles at Patnitop, Kud, Chenani and Samroli areas were allowed to move towards Jammu on priority.
On Thursday Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar along with Deputy Commissioner Udhampur and officials of NHAI visited Dewal landslide area where they directed the company engaged by NHAI to speed up the road restoration work by pressing more men and machinery into service.
Meanwhile, after clearing Jammu bound stranded passenger vehicles in Kashmir valley, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar bound vehicles, stranded in Udhampur and Dhar road, were allowed to move towards their respective destinations, sector officer traffic police National Highway Udhampur said.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar also tweeted, “Road through at Samroli-Dewal bridge, all stranded vehicles allowed to move. Road clearance operation has almost been completed in the stretch between Udhampur to Banihal. Men and machinery in place to make NH-44 fully traffic worthy.”
Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police Headquarters also issued an advisory stating that subject to fair weather and good road conditions only stranded vehicles between Chenani and Banihal would be allowed to ply on highway on Saturday.