Jammu; Traffic was partially restored on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Monday, providing relief to hundreds of commuters stranded on the arterial road over the past six days.
The 250-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country was blocked by multiple landslides coupled with sinking of road at different places, especially at Tharad Bridge and Balli Nallah in Udhampur district and Maroog in Ramban district on August 27.
“Jammu-Srinagar national highway was partially opened for vehicular movement and stranded vehicles around the damaged stretch (in Udhampur) are being cleared in a regulated manner,” an official of the traffic department said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday inspected the restoration work along the strategic highway and said efforts are underway to ensure early restoration.
Meanwhile, The Northern Railways on Monday started a shuttle service between Jammu and Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, to facilitate the movement of locals and stranded passengers.
Four trains have been inducted in the Jammu-Katra section for the shuttle service that will operate from September 1 to 15.
“The shuttle service has been started between Jammu and Katra to facilitate the movement of daily passengers and stranded persons besides labourers engaged in restoration work,” a Railway official said. These included government employees and students.
Rail traffic has remained suspended in the Jammu railway division for the past one week due to misalignment and breaches at multiple locations in the Pathankot-Jammu section following heavy rains and flash floods on August 26.
Over 50 trains were cancelled on Monday.
However, Railways has been running special trains to ferry stranded passengers to their destinations from Jammu over the past four days. A total of 5,784 stranded passengers have been ferried in seven trains from Jammu for their onward journey.
Scores of people, especially pilgrims, were stranded as heavy rains lashed the Jammu region since August 26, severely disrupting rail and road traffic.
A landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra claimed 34 lives.
Day 6: Traffic partially restored on highway
