Ramban, Nov 7: Due to inclement weather vehicular traffic movement remained disrupted for several hours several times near Mehar and Panthyal between Chanderkote and Ramsu on Srinagar- Jammu National Highway in Ramban district on Monday.
Traffic officials said, free flow of vehicular traffic was disrupted after brief intervals due to intermittent triggering of rolling stones at Mehar, ahead of Ramban and at Panthyal on the highway.
They said despite disruption hundreds of private cars, light and medium passenger vehicles crossed Ramban for their respective destinations in a regulated manner.
They said Jammu bound traffic is being cleared. Earlier, in the morning a Jammu bound tavera taxi was hit by shooting stones at Mehar however driver and passengers escaped unhurt in this incident. Following the incident the vehicular traffic was suspended for some time near Mehar due to which vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the road in long queues.
They said later the concerned agency, NHAI pressed their men and machinery for clearing the accumulated debris and stones from the road and traffic resumed. They said smooth flow of traffic is being disrupted after intervals due to intermittent triggering of rolling stones at Mehar and due to single lane road stretch between Mehar to Ramban.
Sector officer traffic Police Ramsu said that traffic movement was also disrupted at Panthyal due to rolling stones Monday afternoon. Police said shooting stones hit a moving mini bus at Panthyal due to which the driver and a tourist sustained injuries they were taken to nearby PHC Ramsu for treatment.
Police identified the injured tourist as Anindya Kumar Dass son of late Manoranjan Dass resident of West Bengal Kolkata and driver of the vehicle Arjun Sharma son of Shubash Chander resident of Bishna Bhatiyari Jammu.
They said there too vehicles remained stranded in long queues till the vehicle and stones were removed from the road.
Traffic authorities said during the last 24 hours up to 5 PM Monday, Jammu Srinagar NH-44 remained blocked for 7 hours and 35 minutes due to landslides and shooting stones and closure of Chenani Nashri tunnel.
They said vehicular traffic was disrupted due to landslides and shooting stones for four hours and 40 minutes at Mehar, Cafeteria Morh Ramban, Wagon, Kishtwar Pattar, and for two hours and 55 minutes due to closure of Chenani Nashri tunnel.
Deputy Superintendent of traffic Police, Ramban, Parul Bhradwaj said that intermittent triggering of rolling stones is still disrupting free flow of traffic movement at Mehar on highway.He said vehicles are being cleared in one by one mode at Mehar.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir traffic police department issued a fresh advisory for Tuesday stating that subject to fair weather and good road conditions light medium passenger vehicles will be allowed to ply on either side whereas heavy vehicles would be allowed from Jakhani Udhampur towards Kashmir after assessing the road and traffic situation on Tuesday morning.
People are advised to undertake journey only after confirming the status of road from traffic control units Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban on Tuesday morning.
Till the filing of this report traffic congestion is witnessed at several places between Ramsu –Ramban and between Ramban- Chanderkote sectors of highway and vehicles are heading towards Jammu at a slow pace.