National Highway closed for third consecutive day

Tahir Mushtaq

RAMBAN, Mar 19: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained blocked for the vehicular traffic for the third day today following the landslides triggered by overnight incessant downpour at several places.

 

The downpour had resulted into landslides at several places and sinking of the road at some places like Tringla, Batote, Dhalwas, Nashri etc. However till last reports came in the landslides at Nashri, Peerah, Kunfar Chandekote, Mehad, Seri, Marog, Battery Cheshma, Khooni Nullah, Magarakote, Panthyal etc. and the landslides were being cleared at Gangroo and Hingni by the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) officials.

Though, after the resumption of vehicular traffic on NH44 at 1:30 PM yesterday, all the stranded passenger vehicles were cleared by late evening yesterday when it was again stopped making some of the Srinagar bound small and big load carriers to remain stranded between Ramban and Chanderkote.

Owing the bad weather condition and continue rainfall telephone cable also get damaged at different places of district Ramban due to which the broadband services was affected for the whole day whereas the BSNL mobile and landlines also not working.

Some of the drivers of load carriers carrying poultry and vegetables were seen selling of their commodities at throw-away prices to the locals out of distress.

When contacted District Development Commissioner (DDC) Ramban Bashir Ahmed Dar, at Bohardhar Neel a house was collapsed due to the overnight downpour where three families were evacuated to three tents provided by the district administration today morning. Some houses have been reportedly damaged in Mohu Mangat area in Khari tehsil of Banihal area. Due to lightening on a cow shed belonging to Mohd Iqbal at Dharamkund, three cows at two calves were killed. More reports of damages from different remote areas of the district have been pouring in since last reports came in.

 

Sarpanch Rajgarh, Mohd. Shafi said that the standing crop of mustard was damaged badly due to the overnight hailstorm and the Chanderkote-Rajghar link-road was also blocked at several places due to the landslides.