Kashmir Impulse Desk

Ramban, July 19

Heavy overnight rain triggered mudslides and falling rocks at multiple locations along the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday, disrupting traffic and forcing authorities to divert vehicles as clearance teams worked to restore normal movement.

The fresh disruptions occurred in the Nashri-Chenani sector after intense rainfall triggered mudslides and shooting stones inside tunnels and on vulnerable stretches of the highway, one of the country’s most important road links connecting Kashmir with the rest of India.

Traffic officials said debris and falling rocks were reported at several locations between Jakhani and Chenani in Udhampur district. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) personnel deployed heavy machinery to clear the affected stretches, allowing traffic to resume after the blockage was removed.

Elsewhere, persistent rain damaged the recently reclaimed down tube near Dewal in Udhampur district, prompting authorities to divert traffic in both directions through the parallel uptube. Another major mudslide near the Nashri roundabout in Ramban district blocked part of the uptube, forcing officials to temporarily reroute vehicles through the down tube until restoration work could be completed.

Authorities said restoration work was continuing at multiple locations and advised motorists to exercise caution, warning that continuing rainfall had increased the risk of further mudslides and rockfalls along the highway.