‘Upgradation of airstrip stretch on NH in Kmr’
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Mar 31: The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained suspended for over 15 hours on Sunday due to landslides triggered by overnight rains at a few places in Ramban sector while J&K experienced drop in temperature after rains across the region and snowfall on the higher peaks during past two days.
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Official sources said that highway was blocked due to land slides at Kishtwari Pathar in Banihal area and land and mudslides near Ramban during last night after rains. With this, the movement of vehicles came to halt and many vehicles were stranded at various places enroute.
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Hundreds of stranded vehicles, specially those loaded with passengers, were allowed to move towards their respective destinations after the road was cleared around 5 pm. However, a long traffic jam was created on the highway in Ramban and Banihal area.
The busy highway was closed for vehicular movement following a massive landslide at Kishtwari Pather near Banihal around midnight, and a mudslide and shooting stones at Mehar and Cafeteria Morh near Ramban town, the official said.
He said a truck was damaged after it was hit by a rock that rolled down a hillock at Panthiyal in Ramban late on Saturday evening. The truck driver and his helper escaped unhurt.
The Traffic official said that no Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed on the highway from 4 am on Monday to 7 am on Tuesday in view of “urgent repair work and upgradation of the airstrip stretch” near Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
“Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) shall be diverted to the old National Highway alignment between Alistop and Doonipora, including Wanpoh, Khanabal, Batengoo, Padshahi Bagh and Bijbehara. Truck drivers are advised to avoid their journey on the highway from 4 am on April 1 (Monday) to 7 am on April 2 (Tuesday),” the department said.
Meanwhile, night temperature dropped today across J&K while rains lashed plains and higher reaches received snowfall including Gulmarg.
Overnight rains in the Valley and snowfall in the hills of Kashmir led to drop in the night temperatures. However, there was marginal improvement in the day temperatures across the region but they still stayed below normal.
Srinagar recorded a minimum of 4.8°C against 6.8°C the previous night and it was below normal by 1.3°C for the city for this time of the year. Qazigund recorded a minimum of 5.8°C against 7.2°C on the previous night, Pahalgam recorded a low of 0.8°C against 1.3°C the previous night, Kokernag recorded a minimum of 4.2°C against 6.6°C the previous night, Kupwara town recorded a low of 4.1°C while Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.2°C against minus 0.5°C the previous night and it was below normal by 0.4°C for the skiing resort.
Srinagar recorded a maximum of 16.9 degree Celsius temperature, Qazigund 14.9 degree Celsius, Pahalgam 5.8 degree Celsius, Kupwara maximum of 17.3 degree, Kokernag 14.1 degree Celsius while Gulmarg recorded a maximum of 6.0 degree Celsius today.
Jammu recorded a maximum temperature of 28.5 degree Celsius and minimum 14.5 deg C, Katra town a maximum of 26.2 degree C and minimum 11.5 degree, Bhaderwah town a maximum temp of 21.2 and minimum 7.8 while Batote town a maximum temperature of 19.2 degree C and minium temp of 5.8 degree Celsius today.
A Meteorological Department official said that isolated to scattered light rain/thunder shower is expected over Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
“Generally dry weather is expected thereafter till April 5 except April 3 when fairly widespread rain has been forecast,” he said.
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