Qazigund: More than 3000 vehicles, including 500 fruit-laden trucks, are stranded on the Kashmir side of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said on Thursday.
They said that the landslides and roads caving in at many places along the 260-km highway have led to the blockade of this arterial road. “Efforts are on to make the highway motorable and restoration works are going on in full swing” an official said.
He said, “Vehicles, including 500 fruit-laden trucks, are stuck between Qazigund and Wanpoh. As soon as the highway reopens fruit-laden trucks will be cleared on priority.”
Pertinently, the highway has not been fully restored for almost ten days after it suffered massive damages at Udhampur on August 26. “A 10-kilometre stretch of the highway between Sarmoli and Udhampur has been sinking, posing a major challenge for road maintenance agencies. Multiple stretches of the 250-kilometre highway have also been blocked due to debris, boulder slides, and sunken patches, particularly in the Ramban-Banihal sector,” said an official.
“Clearance work is underway on the crucial Ramban-Banihal stretch. This stretch will be restored for vehicular movement by tonight,” they added.
Stranded for over ten days, drivers on the Qazigund side are pleading for assistance as the load in their trucks is about to perish and they are running out of resources. “We have neither rations nor money. We need facilities here and the highway should be restored on a war footing basis,” said a driver.
Meanwhile, the strategic Mughal Road, connecting Poonch and Rajouri with Shopian in south Kashmir, is also closed due to landslides and shooting stones at several locations, while the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road remains shut due to unstable conditions—(KNO)
