Kashmir Highway – File Pic
Man Dies As Rains Wreak Havoc Across Jammu
Banihal/Jammu: The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second day on Wednesday as heavy rains triggered fresh landslides at different places in Ramban district hampering road clearance operation, officials said.
The highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for vehicular traffic early Tuesday after a massive landslide damaged a portion of the road at Dalwas leaving thousands of vehicles, mostly trucks, stranded on the either side.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Traffic, National Highway, Ajay Anand said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is working on the Dalwas landslide to make the road trafficable but fresh landslides and shooting of stones from the hillocks overlooking the highway at various places including Panthiyal, Monkey Morh, Maroog and Kunfer-Chanderkote overnight hit the restoration work.
The men and machines are on the job to clear the road of the debris despite inclement weather but there are very little chances of road being made trafficable today, he said.
The weather office had forecast moderate to heavy rainfall till Thursday in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said the restoration work at Dalwas was also affected for several hours on Tuesday following a protest by a group of people whose houses were damaged in a landslide in the same area in March.
The protesters were demanding compensation for the 40 families whose houses suffered damages in the previous landslide, they said, adding that the matter was later resolved following intervention by the district magistrate of Ramban.
In March, a massive landslide damaged 28 houses and a 500-metre portion of the highway.
The officials said over 500 vehicles, mostly trucks, remained stranded in Banihal-Nashri sector and will be cleared on priority once the road is made traffic-worthy.
Thousands of trucks are also stranded on the highway in Anantnag-Qazigund sector in Kashmir and Jammu-Udhampur sector in Jammu region, the officials said.
Man Dies As Rains Wreak Havoc Across Jammu
Incessant rains on Wednesday wreaked havoc in parts of Jammu region where in a bridge collapsed here at city outskirts and mud houses were partially damaged in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Number of vehicles damaged and houses partially due to continuous rains in Jammu and other parts of the region.
In Jammu, rain water entered many houses and shops in Canal Road, Krishna Nagar, Bhagwati Nagar, Talab Tillo and other low lying areas. People rued and criticized the Jammu Municipal Corporation for not taking measures in advance in view of the monsoon season.
They alleged that many nallahs and drains overflow due to heavy rains and the dirty water entered their houses. Many household items were also damaged due to rain water in parts of Jammu.
Local residents criticized local Jammu Municipal Councillors and former MLAs and Ministers for not taking appropriate measures in addressing their grievances.
However, a bridge collapsed and washed away in Babilana area here on the city outskirts. The bridge used to connect border villages with Jammu city. Locals slammed the district administration alleging that years have passed but no permanent solution was found so far with regard to connectivity of border villages with the rest of the city.
Reports from Mendhar said that one Mohammad Shokit, 35, resident of Kaller Mora, Mendhar at present Gola Nari Kotli Kalaban, Manjakote, Rajouri died after cattle shed collapsed while in Sangiote village, many cattle stuck due to cattle shed collapse.
Meanwhile power supply remained snapped since night in most of the parts of Jammu region as electric wires and high tension lines also suffered damages.
In Mendhar 33 KV line completely broke down. Men and machinery have been pressed into service for early restoration of the electricity across the region.
Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed after a fresh landslide triggered due to heavy rains following which over 1400 trucks and other vehicles remained stranded along the roadside.
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