Jammu- The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed Monday following multiple landslides triggered by rains that lashed wide parts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight, officials said.
The highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by landslides at Mehar, Gangroo, Mom Passi and Kishtwari Pather in Ramban district.
The rains are continuing, hampering restoration works, they said, advising commuters to avoid journey on the highway till it is cleared of the debris.
Mughal road, an alternate route linking Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu with south Kashmir’s Shopian district, remained closed for the third day owing to snowfall in Peer Ki Gali and adjoining areas, the officials said.
Amid the incessant rains, authorities in Kishtwar have ordered closure of schools in the district.
The decision to suspend class work for the day has been taken in the interest of prioritising the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the broader community given the current challenges posed by the adverse weather conditions, an official said.
He said efforts are on to restore water supply to Kishtwar town which was snapped following significant damage to the main 250 mm diameter water supply pipes of the Naigad Water Supply scheme at Hunjala on Sunday.
Police officials said two houses were damaged due to landslide at Basha-Simbool village of Kishtwar, while dozens of livestock perished in incidents of lightning and flash floods in Ramban and Samba districts overnight.
In its advisory, the officials in the Traffic department said, the people are advised to undertake journey only after confirming the status of the road from Traffic control units.
As per the details the hundreds of commuters remained stranded on different major roads and highways after the routes were closed for vehicular movement as a precautionary measure. “The stranded commuters have been stopped at the safer places and will be allowed to ply only after the weather conditions improve and the road is closed,” the officials said.
Meanwhile, the commuters in Srinagar and other areas had to face tremendous hardships today as the roads remained submerged with the muddy water amidst the intermittent moderate rainfall across Kashmir.
The lanes and bi-lanes in Srinagar and elsewhere remained submerged, giving tough times to the commuters to commute.
However, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has stated that the staff, particularly drainage wing of SMC remained alert and is tackling the issue of inundation in different areas.
The areas like Gogji Bagh, Hazratbal, Pamposh Colony, Palpora, Sir Sayed Market Gogji Bagh, Humhama, Bemina, Jawahar Nagar, Khanyar, Eidgah, HMT, TRC, Makia Point Boulevard and etc were affected by water logging, the SMC swiftly mobilized its workforce and machinery to address the situation with remarkable efficiency.
Through the strategic use of dewatering machines and the deployment of personnel, the SMC is effectively managing the storm water, ensuring minimal disruption to the residents of Srinagar, the spokesman said.
Moreover, the citizens have been asked to contact the 24×7 Control Room of Srinagar Municipal Corporation in case of any issue related to water logging or others.
However, the air traffic as well as the train services remained unaffected throughout the day
Schools Closed, Exams Postponed
Meanwhile authorities in Kashmir have announced closure of all schools in the valley on Tuesday as a precautionary measure in view of the rising water level in rivers and streams due to incessant rainfall over the past three days.
The University of Kashmir has also suspended classwork in the main and satellite campuses and postponed all examinations that were scheduled to be held on Tuesday.
The water level in water bodies across Kashmir has been rising due to the continuous rainfall, according to officials.
While a danger warning has been issued for the Pohru Nallah in Kupwara district, the water level in other water bodies of the valley, including the Jhelum river, is still below the alert mark. The meteorological department has forecast wet weather till Tuesday evening.
The Directorate of School Education, Kashmir, issued the order to suspend classes in all schools up to the higher secondary level on Tuesday.
The step has been taken as a precautionary measure in view on the incessant rainfall, according to the order.
The meteorological department said, “The weather will improve from tomorrow. The weather will be generally dry with no major activity from May 1 to May 5.”
Earlier in the day, heavy rainfall in Kupwara district forced authorities to suspend classes in schools.
“In view of inclement weather and avalanche warning issued by JKDMA, the class work in all the schools is suspended across the district on April 29 as a precautionary measure for the safety of students,” an official had said.
He had said however, teaching and non-teaching staff shall attend their duties to monitor the situation and ensure safety of assets of their respective institutions.
Some areas of Handwara and Kupwara towns have been waterlogged, prompting authorities to launch an evacuation operation for the affected residents.
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