Gopal Sharma/
Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Mar 13: As the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway continued to remain closed for traffic on the 6th consecutive day today, hundreds of Kashmir bound passengers stranded at Jammu Bus Stand held strong protest demonstration against the Government, demanding their airlifting and early opening of the highway.
The Administration decided to airlift stranded passengers at Jammu in the Indian Air Force aircraft from Udhampur tomorrow morning in at least two sorties. The same AIF aircraft IL-76 will airlift stranded passengers from Srinagar. Huge rush of passengers was witnessed at the booking counter of the SRTC at Jammu Bus Stand for getting aircraft ticket this evening.
As the authorities and the stranded vehicle operators at Jammu received information that highway is being cleared shortly as most of the landslides were cleared between Chanderkote- Ramban and Banihal, the Traffic Police authorities allowed movement of vehicles from Udhampur TCP and also from Nagrota towards Kashmir. But at Panthial, shooting stones started and also a large fresh landslide near Ramsu blocked the National Highway. A large number of vehicles including passenger and goods carriers got struck between Ramsu and Ramban and Chanderkote.
Another massive landslide occurred at Mehar near Chenab bridge at Ramban early today and highway got blocked at the third point. While the highway was cleared at Panthial during noon, the road could not be cleared at Mehar by late this evening. Two machines had been engaged by the National Highway authorities to clear the road there. With this, the movement of vehicles at Nagrota and Udhampur was also stopped again.
About 700 to 800 Kashmiri passengers stranded at General Bus Stand, Jammu came out on BC Road during the day and held strong protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans against PDP-BJP Govt for its failure to make arrangements for the stranded passengers and also clearing road even on the 6th consecutive day. They demanded that Government should make arrangements for their airlifting. They also raised slogans against the Chief Minister and the DyCM. They disrupted the movement of traffic for some time but the police did not allow them to stall vehicular movement on the busy highway.
Senior officials including ADC and ASP Jammu arrived there and they pacified the protesting passengers with the assurance that they will take up the matter with the higher authorities. The passengers then suspended their protest demonstration.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal told the Excelsior that Administration has made arrangement s for airlifting of stranded passengers at Jammu and also at Srinagar in view of the closure of the highway for the last six day. He said that these passengers will be airlifted from Udhampur air base in AL-76 aircraft of the Indian Air Force tomorrow morning.
The matter was taken up with the AIF authorities at Jammu and also in Delhi and they are providing aircraft tomorrow. He said it may carry one or sorties and token amount of Rs 1500 is being charged per seat from the passengers at the SRTC counters at Jammu Bus Stand. Similarly, the stranded passengers will be airlifted from Srinagar air port for Udhampur on March 14. The operation may take place at 8.30 am. The passengers will be taken from SRTC Yard Srinagar to the airport at 8 am from where, they will be taken to Srinagar Airport in the SRTC bus.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Traffic, Jagjit Kumar said that the highway was closed again after the shooting stones yesterday and slides this morning. “The men and machinery has been pressed to clear the roads. We have cleared the roads at a few places while the others will be cleared soon,” he said.
Kumar said shooting stones yesterday at Panthal was heavy and damaged portion of the highway. He said that shooting stones continued intermittently at Panthal today but it was manageable.
The IGP said that three fresh slides struck the highway in Ramban and Ramsu areas and one of them has been cleared and work on others is going on to clear them. He, however, said that the decision to re-open the highway will be taken once these slides are cleared. He said that after the road clearance work, the stranded vehicles will be allowed first to ply towards their destinations.
A senior Traffic Police official told the Excelsior that more than 3000 vehicles were stranded at Jammu, Nagrota Bypass and Jagati area of Highway while about 1100 at Udhampur and Dhar Road. About 200 vehicles were allowed to move from Udhampur on Sunday from Udhampur but they got struck in Ramban area as all the vehicles could not cross ahead Ramsoo due to shooting stones and another fresh land slide. It forced the authorities to stall the movement of the vehicles.
He further said that Batote-Doda–Kishtwar and Doda-Bhaderwah roads were restored on March 12 and vehicles are plying normally on this route. The snow at Patnitop has also been cleared by the authorities. The Jammu-Srinagar highway is likely to be restored by tomorrow for one way traffic, he added.
Thousands of passengers who had left Jammu yesterday morning are stranded at different places on the highway, particularly at Ramban, Ramsu and Batote.
The passengers had to face tremendous hardships due to the sudden closure of the highway. Large numbers of passengers were seen crossing the Ramban and Ramsu areas on foot.
Due to closure of the highway, Kashmir valley is facing shortage of fresh vegetables, fruits, mutton and chicken.
Even as weather improved today, the temperatures across the State continued to be below normal with Kashmir valley recording sub-zero night temperature.
Srinagar recorded 12.4 degree Celsius while night temperature dropped to minus 0.2 degree Celsius, Qazigund recorded a maximum of 12.5 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.4 degree Celsius, Pahalgam a maximum of 10.0 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 2.8 degree Celsius, Kupwara a maximum of 14.3 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.5 degree Celsius and Kokernag a maximum of 11.5 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.5 degree Celsius.
Jammu recorded a maximum temperature of 21.6 degree Celsius, while night temperature dropped to 7.5 degree Celsius. Banihal recorded a maximum of 15 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.3degree Celsius, Batote a maximum of 13 degree Celsius and minimum of 2.0 degree Celsius, Katra a maximum of 19.4 degree Celsius and minimum of 7.2 degree Celsius, Bhaderwah a maximum of 14. 8 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 0.5 degree Celsius.
Follow our WhatsApp channel