Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, Apr 2: An Army vehicle suffered damage in shooting of stones from a hillock near the recently opened T-5 tunnel, in Panthyal area of Ramban sector on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway today.
Deputy Commissioner, Ramban Mussarat Islam taking serious note of the matter asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to get the vulnerable zone technically assessed so that immediate protection measures are taken to protect the lives of passengers travelling on this highway.
The 880-metre T-5 tunnel was thrown open for traffic on March 16, providing much needed relief to commuters as it bypassed the most vulnerable stretch of Panthyal which was infamous for the frequent shooting of stones from the hillock.
The officials said an Army convoy was moving through the tunnel when the rocks started coming down from the hillock, resulting in damage to one of the luxury vehicles. However, all the persons onboard escaped unhurt.
The shooting stones continued on both sides of the tunnel for quite some time, resulting in disruption of the traffic for about four hours. However, no one was injured in the incident. The highway could be restored after four hours.
In a communication to the NHAI, the DC Ramban said the massive shooting stone activity near the mouth of South Portal of Tunnel T-5 (Tube 1) poses a grave risk to the commuters if no remedial measures are immediately taken.
“You are advised to get the vulnerable zone technically assessed so that immediate protection measures are taken to protect the lives of passengers travelling on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (now NH-44) as well as Tunnel T-5,” Islam said.
He said the Panthyal stretch on NH-44 has brought huge respite to the travellers and also helped in better regulation of traffic.
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