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NH-44 Blocked in Ramban as Boulders Roll onto Chenab Bank Road

Vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been completely halted in Ramban after large boulders rolled onto the down-tube road beside the Chenab river. This incident compounded existing disruptions, as the up-tube was already blocked due to a landslide from the previous night. Traffic SSP Raja Adil Hamid Ganai stated that heavy machinery is being deployed to clear both sites, a process expected to take several more hours. The blockage follows recent avalanches that disrupted travel in the Gurez Valley earlier in the week.

Key Points: Traffic Halted on Jammu-Srinagar Highway After Boulders Block Road

  • Traffic completely stopped on NH-44
  • Boulders rolled onto down-tube at Karol
  • Up-tube already blocked by landslide
  • Major inconvenience for commuters
  • Clearance ops by NHAI underway
2 min read

J-K: Vehicular traffic disrupted on NH-44 in Ramban due to rolling down of boulders on bank of Chenab

Vehicular traffic on NH-44 in Ramban is completely stopped after boulders rolled onto the highway near Chenab river, causing major snarls.

"heavy machines are being used... to break and remove the boulders - SSP Raja Adil Hamid Ganai"

Ramban, March 27

Vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was disrupted in Ramban on Thursday since the afternoon following the rolling down of big boulders on the down-tube beside the bank of Chenab at Karol between Chanderkot Masjid and Jaiswal bridge.

According to the SSP, Traffic, NHW, Raja Adil Hamid Ganai, the up-tube (road) on the hillside was already blocked since last night due to a landslide, after which the one-way traffic was diverted from the down-tube.

But after the rolling down of boulders on the down tube this afternoon, the traffic was completely stopped.

The blockage of traffic has caused huge traffic snarls on both ends of the blocked site and thus much inconvenience to the commuters and passengers.

SSP, Raja Adil Hamid Ganai, said that the heavy machines are being used by the NHAI to break and remove the boulders from the down tube and the landslide debris from the up tube, which could take a few more hours to completely restore the traffic on the NH44.

Earlier on Monday, vehicular movement in the Gurez Valley of north Kashmir was disturbed on Monday after two consecutive snow avalanches struck the vital 85-km-long Bandipora-Gurez mountainous pass.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has mobilised specialised teams to the affected sites to clear the massive accumulation of snow and debris blocking the highway.

The two back-to-back snow avalanches striking the 85-km-long Bandipora-Gurez area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district severely disrupted traffic movement along the strategic route. Soon after the incident, snow clearance operations were performed by BRO's 56 RCC teams on a war footing to restore connectivity.

The India Meteorological Department, Srinagar, recorded a minimum temperature of 5°C this morning, with the mercury expected to reach a maximum of 17°C. The city is witnessing a generally cloudy sky, with light rain expected later in the day. Other major stations in the division show cooler conditions.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Hats off to the BRO and NHAI teams working in such difficult conditions. Clearing boulders and snow in mountainous terrain is no joke. Hope the commuters stay patient and safe.
A
Arjun K
This highway is the lifeline for Kashmir. When it's blocked, everything from supplies to tourism gets hit. Authorities should have better early warning systems for landslides, especially after rain or snow melt.
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Priya S
Feel so bad for the people stuck. Imagine being on a bus with kids or elderly parents. Hope they have access to water and food. The administration should arrange basic amenities at the blockage points.
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Michael C
While the immediate response is crucial, we also need to talk about climate change. Erratic weather patterns are making these events more frequent and severe. Long-term planning is essential.
K
Karthik V
With all due respect to the efforts, there seems to be a pattern. One lane blocked, divert traffic to the other, then that gets blocked too. Shouldn't contingency plans account for this? A little proactive thinking can prevent complete halts. Jai Hind.
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Nisha Z
Traveling on this highway is always an adventure! But seriously, it highlights the challenging geography of our beautiful region. Hope the restoration is swift

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