Banihal, Jul 27: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was blocked again shortly after midnight on Monday following a fresh landslide at Dewal in Udhampur district, barely hours after the strategic highway was reopened on Sunday evening after remaining closed for nearly 12 hours due to heavy rain, mudslides and shooting stones.
Traffic officials said men and machinery of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were immediately pressed into service to clear the debris and restore traffic. Commuters have been advised to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe, as the possibility of fresh landslides and shooting stones continues in vulnerable stretches.
Despite the fresh disruption, the 20th batch of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, comprising 3,823 pilgrims, crossed the affected Dewal stretch safely through one tube of highway, which had been opened exclusively for the Yatra convoy. The Baltal-bound convoy later entered Ramban district without any interruption under a multi-tier security cover.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic), National Highway, Raja Adil Hameed, said the Traffic Police and NHAI teams were working round the clock to restore the highway at the earliest. He appealed to commuters not to pay heed to rumours and to verify the latest road status through official Traffic Police advisories and Traffic Control Units before undertaking their journey.
Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles were left stranded at various locations between Qazigund and Udhampur following the fresh landslide, with authorities awaiting improvement in road conditions before resuming traffic.
