Srinagar, April 7 – After being reopened for traffic following a day-long blockade on Tuesday morning, a massive landslide in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has once again blocked the strategic Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
Traffic department officials said that a major landslide struck the highway stretch between Digdol and Khooni Nallah along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) on Tuesday afternoon, leading to a complete blockage of the road and the suspension of vehicular movement.
The debris and boulders rolled down onto the highway, making the route impassable.
"Traffic authorities have immediately halted movement on the busy highway as a precautionary measure to ensure public safety," traffic department officials said.
Commuters have been advised to avoid travelling on NH-44 until clearance operations are completed and the road is declared safe for vehicular movement.
Restoration work is expected to begin shortly, subject to weather conditions.
The nearly 300-km-long highway is the lifeline for the landlocked Valley, as most essential supplies are still brought into the Valley via this highway.
LPG, petrol, diesel, kerosene, mutton, poultry products, and vegetables are still brought into the Valley via tankers and trucks, despite the fully operational rail link between Jammu and the Valley.
Unless cargo trains start bringing in essential supplies and carry fruits and other farm produce to national markets during peak season, the Valley's dependence on the highway will continue.
With massive renovation and restoration, including the construction of new bridges, flyovers, and tunnels, the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu has been reduced to 5 hours from the previous 10 to 12 hours.
Despite this, the highway remains a highly weather-dependent road, particularly due to the challenging stretch from Ramsoo to Ramban town.
Shooting stones and landslides caused by rain often block the highway on this stretch, and restoration work can sometimes take several days.
