Ramban: Vehicular traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was disrupted for a few hours due to a fresh spell of rain that triggered mud and landslides at the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch of Ramban and shooting stones at the Panthyal between Nashri-Banihal stretch of the highway on Monday afternoon.
Traffic authorities said that up to 5 pm on Monday, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained blocked for 6 hours and 22 minutes.
They said that the highway remained blocked for 4 hours and 10 minutes due to mudslides and shooting stones at Mehar-Cafeteria, Panthyal, and Mom Passi, Ramsu.
The traffic officials said that the Chenani-Nashri tunnel also remained closed for 2 hours and 12 minutes.
The authorities said that after a slight improvement in the weather, concerned agencies pressed their men and machinery to clear the mud and landslide from the road on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch and accumulated stones from the road at Panthyal and other places.
They said that the debris and stones accumulated on the road at Mehar-Cafeteria and at Panthyal were cleared.
The road clearance operation on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch of the highway was started amid rain in the afternoon and debris was cleared from the road late afternoon and vehicular traffic resumed on the highway.
Police officers and officials were seen monitoring the road clearance operation at Mehar-Cafeteria, Ramban, and Panthyal, Ramsu.
However, traffic officials monitoring the regulation of traffic in Ramban said that despite inclement weather and slippery road conditions between Nashri-Banihal hundreds of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) plied on either side of the highway in the afternoon.
They said that after clearing the LMVs, Jammu-bound Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) were also allowed towards Jammu on Monday afternoon.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, Ramban, Mohita Sharma said that after a respite in the rain and road clearance, the National Highway was reopened.
However, intermittent shooting stones at Panthyal continued.
“The road is slippery,” Sharma said and urged for travelling cautiously.
On Monday afternoon, the traffic authorities said that the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was blocked due to continuous shooting stones at cafeteria, Ramban, and Panthyal.
Meanwhile, J&K Traffic Department issued a fresh advisory for Tuesday stating that subject to fair weather, LMVs would be allowed to ply on either side of the highway while HMVs stopped at Jakhani, Udhampur would be allowed to move towards Kashmir after assessing the road and traffic situation on the highway on Tuesday morning.