Weather improves, highway still closed

Tribune News Service
Jammu/Srinagar, January 23

Life limped back to normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday with the improvement in weather conditions.

The crucial Srinagar-Jammu national highway (NH), however, continued to remain shut for the third straight day as the administration worked to remove debris from the massive avalanche on Tuesday.

The stranded Kashmir-bound passengers and drivers suffered hardships as many of them complained of running short of money. They urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to personally intervene and direct the administration to restore traffic at the earliest.

The highway, which serves as an important and only surface link for essential supplies and passenger traffic between the Valley and the rest of the country, has been shut for vehicular traffic since Monday when heavy snowfall led to closure of its mountainous stretches.

The situation was aggravated on Tuesday morning when a massive avalanche hit the tunnel and blocked it under up to 15 feet of snow.

Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Kulgam, complained, “We have been waiting for reopening of the highway for the last three days but it is yet not clear as when the road will be opened again. We are running short of money and local shopkeepers and hoteliers are charging exorbitantly from the stranded people.”

“On Tuesday, there were only 50-odd stranded passengers in the city. We have received no complaint from any passenger with regard to lack to facilities in Jammu. We will take care of all the arrangements for the stranded passengers if they approach us,” Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Jammu, said.

Udhampur DC Ravinder Kumar also claimed there were no stranded passengers in the district and only Doda and Kishtwar-bound passengers were being allowed to leave Udhampur town.

“On Wednesday, we evacuated about 150 persons who were stuck in different hotels and lodges at Patnitop due to the road blockage following a heavy snowfall,” Kumar said.

Sudhir Gupta, Chief Engineer (M&RE), power development department, Jammu, said they had restored nearly 95 per cent of power supply to all major towns while their teams were on the job to restore electricity in rural and remote areas of the region. “Our transformers have suffered extensive damage,” he said.

Jawahar Tunnel blockade cleared: Police

Alok Kumar, IGP (Traffic), J&K, said they had been able to clear the blockade at the Jawahar Tunnel, the dual-tube link between the valley’s Qazigund town and Jammu division’s Banihal town, caused by an avalanche but intermittent landslides at four places between Ramban and Banihal were creating problems in the restoration of traffic on the highway. “Around 2,000 trucks — about 1,700-1,800 between Udhampur and Manwal, and 250 on the Kashmir side — are stranded on the highway. Subject to fair weather and road conditions, we will try to clear the stranded vehicles on Thursday,” Kumar said, adding, “the Doda-Kishtwar highway has also been opened for traffic”.