The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the third consecutive day on Friday as relentless rainfall continued to trigger landslides, shooting stones and road erosion at multiple locations, severely disrupting connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country.
The prolonged spell of heavy rain, cloudbursts and flash floods over the past six days has claimed 26 lives across the Jammu region, while six persons remain missing, prompting intensified search and rescue operations in the worst-affected districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Officials said rescue teams, including personnel from the civil administration, police, SDRF, NDRF and other agencies, have been deployed to search flood channels, landslide-hit areas and other vulnerable locations in an effort to trace the missing persons.
The 250-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, continues to remain blocked due to landslides, shooting stones and road damage at Deohal Bridge, Samroli and Jakhani in Udhampur district, besides Banihal in Ramban district.
According to a Traffic Police advisory, vehicular movement remains suspended on the highway as restoration work continues. However, persistent rainfall has been hampering debris clearance and repair operations.
The highway closure has left more than 1,000 vehicles stranded at Ramban, Nagrota, Jammu, Udhampur, Lakhanpur and Samba. Authorities have advised commuters to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe for traffic.
Apart from the national highway, over a dozen inter-district roads, including the Doda-Kishtwar road, remain closed due to landslides, mudslides and road erosion. However, the Mughal Road and the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri (SSG) Road continue to remain open despite the inclement weather.
To facilitate stranded passengers, Northern Railway operated a special train between Budgam, Banihal and Katra, while more than 600 stranded tourists were shifted from Srinagar to Jammu.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast continued rainfall over parts of the Jammu division, particularly the Chenab Valley, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, while significant rainfall is also expected in South Kashmir. Weather conditions are likely to improve gradually later in the day, although scattered showers may continue till evening.
Officials said almost all rivers and streams across the region are flowing above normal levels, with flash floods inundating several low-lying areas and causing damage to houses, shops and public infrastructure.
In view of the prevailing weather conditions, the administration has suspended the Shri Amarnath Yatra, Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra, Shiv Khori Yatra and Machail Mata Yatra for the day. Pilgrims have been advised to remain at designated base camps and accommodation centres until further instructions.
An official advisory stated that no vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims would be permitted to proceed from Jammu, Udhampur or Ramban towards Srinagar until the weather improves and the route is declared safe.
Officials said more than 15,000 pilgrims are currently stranded at various base camps and lodging centres in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Ramban and Banihal. Security personnel have been deployed along the highway to prevent movement towards Kashmir.
According to the latest rainfall data, Udhampur recorded the highest rainfall of 96.5 mm during the past 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, followed by Batote (84.2 mm), Ramban (69.5 mm) and Bhaderwah (65.7 mm).
Other rainfall recorded across the Jammu region includes Katra (45.1 mm), Kathua (44.8 mm), Banihal (38.3 mm), Doda (35 mm), Reasi (27.5 mm), Kishtwar (27 mm), Jammu Airport (26 mm), Jammu City (25.2 mm) and Poonch (7.5 mm), while Rajouri reported no rainfall during the period.
Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers and landslide-prone areas, and strictly follow advisories issued by the administration as rescue and restoration efforts continue across the rain-ravaged region.
