The lone all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country remained shut for the sixth straight day on Sunday owing to landslides and road cave-ins at multiple spots.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working on restoring traffic between Jammu and Srinagar through an alternative route as completely repairing the damaged stretches of the 250-km National Highway 44 may take up to 25 days.
Abdullah drove through the NH-44 from Srinagar to Jammu to take stock of the restoration work ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit on Monday. Abdullah will brief Shah about the damage caused by the rains, floods and landslides in the Union Territory. The Home Minister will chair a high-level meeting on Monday, sources said.
Quoting officials from the NHAI and the administration, Abdullah told reporters in Ramban: “They say it will take 20-25 days to fully restore the damaged stretches of the highway. I was told an alternative route is available and they are working on it to restore two-way traffic.”
Unlike previous years, the most affected areas this time have been around Udhampur town rather than the Ramban-Banihal stretch, he said. “Until repair work in Udhampur is complete, normal traffic movement cannot resume,” he said, before leaving for Udhampur from Ramban.
A spokesperson said the Chief Minister carried out an extensive tour of Ramban and Udhampur districts to assess the widespread devastation caused by the recent cloudbursts, floods, landslides and mudslides.
At Maroge in Ramban, the Chief Minister inspected a severely damaged stretch of the NH-44 and directed the NHAI and other executing agencies to restore this vital link on a war footing.
Story continues below this ad
He said the immediate priority must be to ensure smooth movement of traffic and uninterrupted supply of essentials to the Kashmir Valley.
Reviewing relief and rehabilitation efforts in Rajgarh, which was hit by a cloudburst, the Chief Minister assured the affected families that adequate assistance will be provided under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF).
He directed officials to ensure timely support for those in distress, while the Deputy Commissioner of Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, informed the CM that immediate financial aid from the District Red Cross Fund has already been disbursed.
During his visit, Abdullah also took stock of the availability of essential commodities, healthcare facilities, and critical services across the district. He instructed the administration to maintain availability of food supplies, clean drinking water, electricity, and medical care.
Story continues below this ad
Later, the Chief Minister assessed the damaged portions of the NH-44 at Bali Nallah and Thard in Udhampur district.
He said at least one tube of the highway must be opened urgently to facilitate the transportation of essential supplies to Kashmir.
During his interaction with the local residents at Bali Nallah and Thard, Omar Abdullah listened to their grievances and assured them of full government support. He directed the administration to immediately provide ration, clean drinking water, restore power supply, set-up temporary shelters and provide other assistance to families whose houses have been damaged.
