Jammu-Srinagar NH closed for second day as landslides hamper restoration work
Live MintThe 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second day on Wednesday as heavy rains triggered fresh landslides at different places in Ramban district hampering road clearance operation, officials said. The highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for vehicular traffic early Tuesday after a massive landslide damaged a portion of the road at Dalwas leaving thousands of vehicles, mostly trucks, stranded on the either side. Deputy Superintendent of Police Traffic, National Highway, Ajay Anand said the National Highway Authority of India is working on the Dalwas landslide to make the road trafficable but fresh landslides and shooting of stones from the hillocks overlooking the highway at various places including Panthiyal, Monkey Morh, Maroog and Kunfer-Chanderkote overnight hit the restoration work. The protesters were demanding compensation for the 40 families whose houses suffered damages in the previous landslide, they said, adding that the matter was later resolved following intervention by the district magistrate of Ramban.