Strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway shuts after fresh landslides

After remaining partially open for three days, the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed on Friday due to fresh landslides in Ramban-Ramsoo sector. "Rain has triggered fresh landslides on the highway in Panthal. The operation to remove the debris has started and the highway is likely to be restored for one-way traffic in the afternoon," an traffic department official said.

"There are around 1,700 trucks carrying essential supplies stranded on the highway. Once the highway is restored, only stranded traffic will be allowed to move from Jammu to Srinagar," he said. After partial restoration of the highway, there was some relief from the severe shortages of essential supplies in the landlocked Kashmir Valley. Each time the highway gets closed, essentials of life like petroleum products, vegetables, poultry products and mutton disappear from the valley's markets.