Heavy rain in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh triggered landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar and Manali-Leh National Highways on Friday, PTI reported. The mudslide on the Jammu-Srinagar highway blocked the only “all-weather road” that connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Vishal Manhas said the landslide in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gangroo has left many, including Amarnath yatra pilgrims, stranded on the 260-km long highway. Manhas said authorities are trying to clear the obstruction. Heavy showers had forced the annual Amarnath Yatra to be suspended once again on Friday.
Jammu and Kashmir Police said they had rescued 165 students of Government Boys School in Shopian from a flooded area with assistance from the State Disaster Response Force.
In Himachal Pradesh, the first landslide took place near Marhi while the second occurred near Sissu in Lahaul Spiti.
Border Roads Organisation officer Avril Jain said personnel had been deployed to clear the mudslides on the Manali-Leh highway. “The road clearing operation has started and will soon be done,” Jain told PTI. “Machines have been deputed along with the Border Roads Organisation engineering team.”
AK Awasthi, the commander of the 38 Border Roads Task Force, told the Hindustan Times that the operation was challenging as huge boulders were constantly rolling down the hills. “It has become a difficult task and is leading to massive jams,” Awasthi said.
Manali Deputy Superintendent of Police Sher Singh said the Border Roads Organisation had informed them that the road clearing operation would take another six to eight hours.
The local administration has also deployed police personnel to ease the flow of traffic in the vicinity. Heavy rain lashed the state over the last 24 hours.
In Uttarakhand, a mudslide on National Highway-94 left many commuters stranded, ANI reported. Officials said a clearing operation is under way. Jammu and Kashmir officials reported landslides in Panthal, Nedgard, Digdol and Samroli in the state’s Banihal-Udhampur sector on Friday morning.
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