Srinagar-Jammu highway remains closed for 4th day today

Srinagar, Feb 24 (UNI) The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the fourth consecutive day today as 30 feet road was totally washed away due to landslides and shooting of stones at Penthal.

Thousands of passengers remained stranded at different places, including Jammu bus stand, for the past four days. Hundreds of trucks loaded with essential commodities are also stranded on the highway.

A traffic police official told UNI that about 30 feet of road was totally washed away after major landslides at Penthal, most troubled spot on the highway.

He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the Maintenance of the highway, only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, have pressed into men service and Sophisticated machines to make alternative road there.

Work is going on round the clock to put the highway through, he said adding one culvert was also washed away due to shooting stones.

A BRO official said that traffic will be resumed on the highway only when shooting of stones stops.

He suggest construction of a wall to stop the shooting stones and landslides from hilltop near Penthal.

Thousands of passengers, mostly Kashmiris returning back to their homes, are stranded at different places on the highway. About one thousand passengers are stranded at Jammu bus stand.

The passengers alleged that no arrangement was made by the authorities for them.

They also criticised the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, for visiting Banihal when the passengers are stranded on the other side of Penthal, including Ramsu and Ramban.

The Divisional Commissioner visited Banihal yesterday where he was informed about 450 trucks are stranded at Qazigund on this side Banihal.

He ordered the immediate supply of ration, kerosene oil, sugar, drinking water to the stranded passengers. He also ordered the Opening of three supply depots at different places in the area.

The Divisional Commissioner directed the SRTC authorities to deploy 20 buses for lifting stranded passengers from Panthal.

UNI