Srinagar-Jammu national highway shut after heavy rain, shooting stones

Srinagar, Aug 18 (IANS) Heavy rain followed by shooting stones on Monday forced the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway as authorities disallowed all traffic on the highway.

Traffic department officials said that all types of vehicular movement along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway have been suspended after shooting stones were reported at several locations, making travel unsafe.

Officials said the highway has been closed as a precautionary measure in view of the threat posed by falling debris triggered by continuous rainfall.

“The Jammu-Srinagar highway is closed due to shooting stones at multiple places. All types of vehicular movement have been stopped as a safety measure,” an official stated.

The officials added that weather conditions remain adverse across the highway stretch.

“There is heavy rainfall across the entire route, which has increased the risk of shooting stones,” the officials said.

Authorities have advised commuters to refrain from undertaking any journey on the highway until debris clearance operations are carried out and weather conditions improve.

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway serves as the only all-weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, and frequent closures due to landslides and shooting stones during the rainy season often disrupt travel and essential goods supply movement.

The unforeseen hardships in the landlocked Valley due to frequent closure of this highway in the rainy season and in winter months have been mitigated to a large extent by the arrival of the Vande Bharat train service to the Valley.

The train service has eased the passenger traffic on the highway as people have an alternative method of transport available in case of highway closure.

The arrival of the freight train has promised to ease the essential shortages scenario created by the closure of the highway.

One goods train has already chugged successfully, carrying cement to the Valley.

As the goods trains start regular movement between the Valley and the rest of the country in the coming days, the dependence on road transport will be taken care of by an alternative method of ferrying goods into and from the Valley.

--IANS

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