Batote-Kishtwar highway blocked; 100 meters of road eroded, passengers stranded since Friday

By admin On Mar 18, 2017

STATE TIMES NEWS
BHADARWAH: People of Kishtwar especially KAS aspirants of the area are facing problems after the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway (NH1B) got blocked due heavy landslides and boulders at Kulgardi area of Drabshalla in District Kishtwar on Friday evening.
According to reports, hundreds of commuters and passengers were stranded on 110-km Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway which remained closed for the second consecutive day on Saturday after a 100 meter of road got eroded near Drabshalla area of Kishtwar.
Stranded passengers said landslide took place at Kuligard area last evening, leading to stranding of vehicles carrying essential commodities and passengers.
After getting information, authorities reached the spot with men and machinery and started work to restore the vehicular movement on the road which is the main connectivity to the Kishtwar.
The vehicles on both the sides are stranded and work was in progress to restore the movement of the vehicles on the National Highway.
“Batote-Doda-Kishtwar NH1B got closed Friday evening after heavy landslides and boulders hit the Kuligard area near Drabshala and washed away a stretch of 100 meters of road. The restoration work is going on but it still take about two days to restore the vehicular traffic, ” said DTI NH1B Aftab Ahmed.
Meanwhile District Development Commissioner Kishtwar, Ghulam Nabi Balwan along with others and officals of PWD also visited the landslide prone area at Kuligarh Drabshalla to access the situation. DDC Kishtwar directed the concerned authorities to expedite the road clearance work on war footing basis and to ensure restoration of connectivity of Kishtwar-Doda-Batote National Highway at an earliest. When contacted DC Kishtwar Ghulam Nabi Balwan said that i personally visited the spot to access the the restoration work and we are trying out best for the early restoration of the said road.