Traffic suspended on Jammu-Srinagar national highway amid incessant rains

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended again on Tuesday as torrential rain led to mudslides and boulders sliding off slopes at several places on the 250-km road linking the Valley to the rest of the country.

The traffic on the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, was suspended after mudslides and shooting of stones at various places between Samroli and Banihal sector, officials said.

A traffic department official said vehicular movement could not be allowed as a precautionary measure in view of the bad weather and heavy rain forecast.

In a forecast issued on Monday evening, a spokesman of the meteorological department predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in most parts of Jammu division on September 2 and 3.

"There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall over Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi and moderate to heavy rainfall over Doda, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Kishtwar in Jammu region and Anantnag and Kulgam in south Kashmir mainly towards late night of September 2 or early morning of September 3 till late afternoon," the spokesman said.

There is a possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides or shooting of stones from hillocks at many vulnerable places and rise in water level in rivers and streams, he said, asking people to stay away from water bodies and avoid landslide-prone areas.

The highway was opened for partial traffic only on Monday after remaining closed for six days and accordingly most of the stranded traffic, including trucks carrying essential commodities to Kashmir were cleared, the officials said.

The downpour was continuing in most parts of Jammu region when last reports were received, they said.

According to the MET department, Kathua district recorded the highest 25.2 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am Tuesday followed by Jammu (17.8 mm), Batote in Ramban (17.6 mm) and Katra (15.8 mm).

In Kashmir valley, Qazigund along Jammu-Srinagar national highway recorded overnight rainfall of 23.2 mm, Gulmarg in north Kashmir (14.8 mm), Pahalgam in south Kashmir (11.4 mm) and Srinagar (6.1 mm), the spokesman said.

However, the rains stopped before the start of the dawn and later the morning sun shone brightly in the valley.