No HMVs To Be Allowed Till 0700 Hours Tomorrow: Officials

BANIHAL/JAMMU: Vehicular movement was suspended for 16 hours and 20 minutes on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Sunday following landslides, triggered by overnight rains, at a few places in Ramban district, officials said.
A traffic department official said road clearance work was started at Kishtwari Pather and Mehar-Cafeteria Morh since morning to ensure early restoration of traffic on the 270-km-long highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.
A massive landslide hit Kishtwari Pather near Nachalana in the Banihal area around midnight, while a mudslide and shooting stones from a hillock blocked the road at Mehar-Cafeteria Morh near Ramban town, the officials said.
“Jammu-Srinagar NHW remained blocked for 16 hrs 20 mins due to mudslides/shooting stones at many places between Nashri and Banihal,” a traffic department official said.
“Passengers/LMVs operators are advised to prefer journey on Jammu- Srinagar NHW during day time,” he said, adding, “Please avoid journey during night hours as apprehension of shooting stones between Ramban and Banihal.”
Load carrier (HMV/LMV) Operators carrying fresh perishable/live stock are advised to load their vehicle as per advisory issued by Traffic Police Headquarters time to time as there is single lane traffic and poor condition of road at Dalwas, Panthyal, Nachlana, Shalgarhi etc. on the highway, he said
Meanwhile it is pertinent to mention that authorities have said that the movement of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMV’s) on Highway shall remain suspended temporarily on April 1 and 2 in view of repair work on airstrip at Bijbehara Anantnag.
“No HMVs (Load carrier) shall be allowed from Srinagar towards Jammu and vice-versa, on Jammu-Srinagar NHW (NH-44) in view of urgent repairs/upgradation of Airstrip stretch along NH-44 near Bijbihara, Anantnag from 0400 hrs on 01-04-2024 (Monday) to 0700 hrs on 02-04-2024 (Tuesday), “ he said. Further, LMVs shall be diverted on old National Highway alignment between Alstop and Doonipora NH-44 via Alstop, Wanpoh, Khanabal, Batengoo, Padshahibagh, Bijbihara, Doonipora and vice-versa.

Agencies