MeT forecasts rain from Mar 31 to Apr 2
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: At least 40 families which were affected due to massive landslide at Dalwas village in Ramban were accommodated by the Administration in various shelters and provide some immediate relief while Jammu-Srinagar National Highway continued to remain blocked at Dalwas near Ramban for the third consecutive day today.
There is no hope of restoration of the highway even for next two more days as the villagers whose houses have been damaged are demanding compensation and they did not allow the machinery of the NHAI to carry out operation and lodged strong protest. Additional DC Ramban Ashok Kumar, Tehsildar Ramban, SDPO and even SHO visited the area and talked to the agitating people and assured that their issue will be taken at the highest level. The restoration work could not be taken up despite clear weather today.
A massive landslide damaged atleast 28 houses at Dalwas, rendering hundreds of people homeless today. The landslide had also damaged a 500-meter stretch of the 270-km highway.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar said the incessant rains over the past two days led to the massive landslide and sinking of Dalwan village land near Chanderkote.
“At least 28 houses have been damaged, requiring shifting of 40 families to safer places in nearby schools,” Sharma, who is supervising the relief and rescue operation said.
“At least 15 houses have suffered extensive damages while the rest 13 houses have suffered partial damages,” the official said, adding the affected 40 families were offered shelter inside quarters at Nashri but they declined and were later accommodated in nearby schools.
He said the district administration is making all necessary arrangements for the affected families.
Meanwhile, DySP (Traffic) National Highway, Ajay Anand said that Dalwan landslide has damaged nearly 500-metre stretch of the highway, causing a serious setback to the efforts of early restoration of road.
The traffic on the highway was suspended on Friday afternoon after heavy rains triggered landslides and shooting stones from the hillocks at nearly a dozen places between Chanderkote and Banihal.
“The sinking of land is still going on at Dalwas landslide site. It will take some days to repair the highway to make it trafficable again,” Anand said.
Only hundreds of Kashmir-bound trucks carrying essential commodities are stranded on the highway and would be cleared once the road is made traffic-worthy. Moreover , Jammu bound vehicles which had been stranded in Banihal area reached Ramban today after clearing of the highway between Ramban and Banihal , he said.
Meanwhile, a MeT spokesman has predicted fresh spell of rain from March 31 to April 2 in J&K. The weatherman said that currently weather is generally cloudy in Ladakh and Kashmir and mainly clear in Jammu region.
“A fresh spell of intermittent light to moderate rain in plains and snowfall over higher reaches of J&K and Zojila, Drass and some areas of Zanskar region of Ladakh is most likely during March 31 night to April 2 forenoon.
He said that as usual, it may lead to landslides in Banihal-Ramban axis of Jammu -Srinagar National Highway. Thunderstorm with strong gusty winds of the order of 30-40 Km per hour is also likely during above period, he added.
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