J&K floods: Jammu-Srinagar national highway re-opens after 13 days

Srinagar/Jammu: In a boost to relief efforts in the flood-ravaged Kashmir Valley, the Jammu-Sringar National Highway today reopened for traffic after remaining closed for 13 days due to landslides triggered by incessant rains. Engineers of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Army restored the vital road link. “After sustained effort by the BRO and Army Engineers, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been opened today,” a Defence spokesman said. He said multiple landslides were cleared with simultaneous deployment of engineers and specialist equipment coordinated by the Chief Engineer of Northern Command Headquarters of the Army based at Udhampur to restore this vital road. “The Highway was reopened for vehicular traffic after remaining closed due to landslide and washing of a portion of Highway in Ramban district,” a police officer said. On the intervening night of September 2 and 3, a five-km road patch was washed way in flash floods besides multiple landslides, sinking of road and flooding at various places in Ramban district. [caption id=“attachment_1714515” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP.[/caption] “The Highway was reopened for only Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs),” he said. Over 3000 to 4000 vehicles, particularly trucks carrying supplies had been stranded on the Highway. Earlier, the Military Engineers had restored the land link to flood-hit Kashmir Valley from Ladakh side on September 9 and cleared Sinthan Pass route via Kishtwar on September 13. “The major impediment to opening the NH was a massive landslide at Ramsoo near Ramban, where over 300 metres of road had been entirely washed away leaving a sheer cliff of 80 degrees slope,” the Defence spokesman said. He said the entire hillside had to be excavated afresh and the effort had to be further intensified due to a repeated landslide on September 12. “Undeterred, the engineers worked night and day to make a new passage through the mountain slope. Work is now on to construct a new bridge over Ans River near Budhal, which will be completed in two days while several Army bridges have already been constructed and over 40 landslides cleared expeditiously by the Sappers (as Military Engineers are called),” the spokesman said. He said clearance of remaining debris and slush on several roads in the State continues in an effort to improve traffic movement on all road links in the State. PTI