Srinagar: Over 3,000 vehicles, including 500 trucks carrying fruit, remain stranded on the Kashmir side of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway due to landslides and road cave-ins, officials said on Friday.
They said the 260-km highway has been blocked at multiple locations, and restoration work is underway to make it motorable. “Vehicles, especially fruit-laden trucks stuck between Qazigund and Wanpoh, will be cleared on priority once the highway reopens,” an official stated.
The highway has not been fully operational for nearly 10 days after massive damage at Udhampur on August 26. “A 10-km stretch between Sarmoli and Udhampur has been sinking, creating major challenges for road maintenance agencies. Several other stretches, particularly in the Ramban–Banihal sector, are blocked by debris, boulders, and sunken patches,” the official added.
Authorities said clearance work is progressing on the Ramban–Banihal stretch and traffic movement is expected to resume by tonight.
Meanwhile, stranded drivers at Qazigund, waiting for more than 10 days, have appealed for urgent relief. “Our truckloads are about to perish. We have neither rations nor money. The road should be restored on a war footing,” said a driver.
In addition, the Mughal Road, linking Poonch and Rajouri with Shopian, also remains closed due to landslides and shooting stones, while the Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag road is shut because of unstable conditions.
