STATE TIMES NEWS
BHADARWAH: Continuous rainfall for the last four days resulting in landslides and shooting stones at several places besides sinking of road near Dak Bungalow Batote last evening forced authorities to suspend traffic on both NHW’s.
Torrential rains for the last four days has literally paralysed the life in whole Chenab Valley as all the roads are closed resulting in shortage of several essential commodities including medicines. besides petrol pumps also went dry.
According to reports, all vehicles which were stranded on Batote -Doda- Kishtwar National Highway were allowed to move yesterday evening.
“We cleared all the stranded vehicles yesterday evening as the road was opened but soon were forced to stop the traffic again as a 100 metre stretch of road sank near Dak Banglow Batote,” said DTI NH1B Shabir Ahmed adding that after meeting of higher authorities of traffic, IG Traffic has ordered to stop the movement on both NHWs to avoid any hurdles while carrying out restoration work.
According to reports, 350 passenger vehicles are stranded at Puldoda, Khelleni, Assar and Batote on NH1B.
Due to continuous closure of national highway, essential commodities including vegetables, fruits, ration, kerosene, cooking gas are disappearing from the markets, some petrol pumps of twin district have also gone dry since yesterday.
Locals demanded that the vehicles carrying essential commodities should be given priority as soon as the road opens.
According to sources, due to sinking of the land, four houses belonging to Samdoo Sheikh, Gulam Hussain, Mohammad Naseem and Mangta Sheikh were completely damaged besides around a dozen others including structures inside CRPF 48 BN cantonment . However, there was no report of loss of any life.
