Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 30: The 270-km arterial Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the Valley’s only surface link with the rest of the country, remained closed for the fourth consecutive day, leavening hundreds of trucks stranded.
The highway was closed on Friday after heavy rain triggered landslides and shooting stones from hillocks in Panthyal, Monkey Morh, Mehar and few other locations in Ramban area.
Though boulders and mudslides at about a dozen places between Nashri- Ramban and Banihal have been cleared by the road maintenance company, the blockades at Monkey Morh and Dhalwas area of Ramban could not be cleared.
A massive landslide has occurred at Dhalwas village near Chandekot on Saturday where at least 28 houses were damaged, while about 500-metre of road has caved in.
The road blockade has left about 1000 trucks carrying essential supplies stuck at various locations on both sides of the highway.
“No vehicular movement was possible on the highway today. We are monitoring the situation and the restoration work is on to repair and restore the highway. It will take several days to repair the highway, said Ajay Anand, deputy superintendent of police (traffic), Ramban.
Only trucks carrying essential commodities are being allowed on the national highway.
Movement of public and private transport has been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has so far claimed two lives in the Union Territory.
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