Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 12: Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained suspended for the second consecutive day today even as stranded light motor vehicles, which along with heavy vehicles were stuck on the road since yesterday following massive landslide and consequent damage to a bridge at Morh Passi, near Balli Nallah in Udhampur, were cleared this evening.
Neither the stranded heavy vehicles were allowed to move nor was the fresh traffic released from Jammu to Srinagar and vice-versa as the Engineers of Gammon India Ltd could not fully analyze extent of damage to the bridge from visual inspection.
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According to IG Traffic Jagjeet Kumar, only light motor vehicles will be allowed to move from Jammu and Srinagar tomorrow that too in a regulated way as the bridge is not safe for heavy traffic. “For allowing heavy traffic, a diversion on the Valley side near the damaged bridge is being created, which will take around a week’s time to be developed,” he added.
A large number of trucks are stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and it will take a few days to clear all, particularly loaded ones.
This morning, stranded light vehicles were allowed to cross the bridge after debris of the landslide was removed but the movement was stopped again after a chaos like situation emerged there owing to massive traffic jam, particularly by the roadside parked trucks from Chenani to the landslide site.
Meanwhile, the damaged bridge was again got inspected by the Engineers of Gammon India Ltd, who conveyed that only light vehicles and heavy traffic in a controlled manner (20 kmph and one vehicle at a time) may be permitted with constant monitoring the settlements, if any.
“The minor bridge at Km 76+075 stands damaged due to the landslide. Total structure has been filled with loose earth and therefore, it is not possible to analyze/assess residual strength of the bridge. From visual inspection, it can be inferred that light vehicles may be allowed keeping in view the traffic condition,” conveyed the Gammon Engineers to National Highway Authority of India, after their inspection of the site.
Maintaining that total evaluation of the bridge condition is possible only after the traffic is diverted through new diversion being made, the Gammon Engineers have cautioned that in case any settlement is noticed in any part of the bridge structure, the vehicular movement should be immediately stopped.
The highway, the lone all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for vehicular traffic yesterday after a massive landslide struck it at Morh Passi, around 10 kms from Udhampur town towards Chenani side, blocking the road and damaging an old bridge, which developed cracks under the impact of the landslide,
Following the closure of highway, the stranded passengers were yesterday advised to wait for opening of the road and move to safe places till then.
This morning, the stranded light motor vehicles were allowed to cross the damaged bridge and after around three hours, the traffic was suspended again. The movement of light motor vehicles was resumed around 3.30 pm only after re-assessment of damage to the bridge by the Gammon Engineers and aligning of stranded trucks on the roadside by Sanjay Bhagat, SSP Traffic (National Highway), who was assisted by Dy SP Traffic Dinesh Gupta, Madanmohan Singh and other officers.
Meanwhile, as per the plan issued by the Traffic Police, no movement of HMVs shall be allowed on the NHW either from Srinagar, Jammu or Doda/Kishtwar tomorrow on 13.09.2017.
Subject to fair weather/ good condition of the road, movement of LMVs only shall be allowed on the NHW on 13.09.2017 for a specified period and in a very regulated manner. Under the said plan, movement of LMVs shall be allowed from Nagrota (Jammu) from 0500 hours upto 1000 hours and from Udhampur upto 1100 hours only. No movement of LMVs shall be allowed from the above said locations beyond the cut of timing under any circumstances.
Similarly, movement of LMVs only shall be allowed from Levdora, Qazigund from 1000 hours and all these LMVs shall cross Jawahar Tunnel by 1500 hours positively. No movement of LMVs shall be allowed from Levdora/ Jawahar Tunnel beyond the prescribed cut of timing.
“All the SSPs Traffic shall ensure that strong nakas, in coordination with District Police, are established at appropriate places, in their respective jurisdictions to implement the directions in letter and spirit,” says an official communiqué in this regard.
Further, the DySPs/DTIs have been directed that the vehicles are not parked in any landslide/ vulnerable zone of NHW, especially from Jawahar Tunnel – Ramban under any circumstances. The said road stretch is vulnerable/slide prone zone and therefore should be kept free from all sorts of traffic to avoid any eventuality, the official handout says.
People may contact Traffic Control Units at Ramban (9419993745), Jammu (0191 2459048, 9419147732) and Srinagar (0194 2450022 and 2485396) to get update/ status of the road.
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