KISHTWAR: Continuous hostile weather conditions since last 36 hours resulting in landslides and shooting stones forced authorities to suspend traffic on all major roads of the district including 110 Km long Batote-Kishtwar NH1B for the day.
Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essential commodities, were stranded after all major roads of the district including Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway which connects twin Districts of Doda and Kishtwar with rest of the State were closed by the authorities today due to bad weather.
“Due to continued bad weather for the last 36 hours and further prediction from Met Department of torrential rains and landslides and taking in view the safety of our people we have closed all the major and link roads of the district,” said SSP Doda Zahid Naseem Manhas.
“If weather improves and landslides removed, we will try to clear the stranded vehicles first but we cannot further risk the lives of our people as we have already lost a couple of precious lives in road accidents due to bad weather yesterday,” SSP added.
Besides NH1B, Doda-Bhadarwah, Thathri-Gandoh, Kahara-Tanta, Doda-Desa, Doda-Bharat and Suigawari-Chirala Roads remain closed due to landslides and shooting stones on second day today.
Meanwhile traffic authorities did not allow any Doda and Kishtwar bound vehicle to move beyond Nagrota and Udhampur this morning.
“Shooting stones at several places on Doda – Batote stretch of NH1B and landslides at Khelani, Dandal, Jathi, Ragi-Nullah and Sanai Bhala and keeping in view safety of the passengers higher authorities have ordered suspension of traffic. Hence no vehicle will be allowed to move from either side on Doda-Batote stretch,” said DTI NH1B Shabir Ahmed.
Later, with the improvement in the weather , all roads were opened for traffic and stranded vehicles were cleared.