Movement of HMVs likely today
Srinagar: After the weeklong blockade due to landslides, the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was partially reopened for traffic on Wednesday.
Authorities are giving priority to trucks carrying essential supplies, and top priority is being given to those trucks carrying perishable items like vegetables, poultry, sheep, etc.
Movement of stranded vehicles was allowed on the highway from Udhampur towards Srinagar, and to start with, passenger vehicles were the first to move.
Over 4,500 trucks carrying fruit had been stuck on the highway due to the blockade, and these vehicles had remained parked alongside the highway in the Valley between Qazigund in Kulgam and the Pulwama district.
An official said that stranded passenger vehicles and trucks carrying essential supplies, including vegetables, poultry and meat, were allowed to move from Udhampur towards Srinagar from 10 am today.
“Light motor vehicles (LMVs) were also released from Qazigund towards Jammu,” he said, adding that heavy motor vehicle (HMV) movement is expected to be allowed from tomorrow, with fruit-laden trucks given top priority.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) completed restoration work late Tuesday night by creating a new diversion at Bani Nallah, officials said, adding that men and machinery worked round-the-clock to make the road motorable.
SSP Traffic National Highway (Ramban), Raja Adil Hamid, said vehicles were continuously getting stuck in the affected Thud section of Udhampur at several spots and were being extracted with the help of machines and manpower. “NHAI has cleared debris and marshland to build a temporary road on a 300-metre stretch, but normal traffic will only be restored after further improvements,” he added.
From around 9:30 am until Wednesday evening, hundreds of vehicles were cleared from the affected sector.
Most fruit growers have been complaining that the fresh fruit stocks of apples have started rotting because of the delay in reaching the markets outside Jammu and Kashmir.
Over 250 metres of the highway had been washed away at Bani Nallah in Udhampur district due to incessant rainfall.
Traffic department officials said passenger vehicles and trucks carrying essential supplies, including chicken, meat, and other perishables, were allowed to move from Udhampur towards Srinagar starting at 10 a.m.
Officials said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) completed restoration work late Tuesday night, creating a new diversion to make the road motorable.
They said men and machinery worked round-the-clock for six days to create the alternate road at Bani Nallah to make vehicular movement possible.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway is the lifeline of supplies for the landlocked Kashmir, as all essential supplies, including foodgrains, vegetables, poultry products, mutton, petroleum products, etc., are brought into the Valley through this highway.
The uncertainty that looms over the locals with regard to the arrival/departure of essential supplies would only become a thing of the past once freight trains start operations regularly on the rail link between Kashmir and the rest of the country.
SSP (Traffic) Rural Kashmir, Ravinder Paul Singh, said light vehicular movement has already been restored and HMVs from the Kashmir side are likely to be released towards Jammu tomorrow. “Many trucks and LPG tankers have been diverted via the Mughal Road. There is no deficit of essentials in Kashmir. As soon as we get the green signal, HMVs will be released from the Kashmir side,” he said.
The SSP advised commuters to strictly follow traffic rules and advisories to avoid further disruptions. (With inputs from KNO)
