Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 24

The main highway linking Kashmir with the rest of India reopened to traffic on Friday after a three-day closure caused by heavy monsoon rain, landslides and falling rocks, while authorities said the Amarnath Yatra would resume on Saturday after a six-day suspension.

The reopening of the 270-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway brought relief to hundreds of stranded passengers and transporters, although authorities warned that further rain could trigger fresh landslides and disrupt traffic again.

The Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway, meanwhile, remained closed after heavy rainfall caused landslides and mudslides, cutting off parts of the Chenab Valley.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway had been repeatedly blocked over the past three days by landslides, slush, waterlogging and shooting stones, particularly along vulnerable stretches between Udhampur and Banihal.

Teams from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), supported by heavy machinery and field personnel, worked continuously to clear debris despite repeated interruptions caused by fresh rainfall.

Improved weather on Friday afternoon allowed authorities to intensify clearance operations, deploying additional machinery and manpower at several locations simultaneously.

A key breakthrough came with the reopening of the landslide-hit stretch near Ladha at Samroli on the Udhampur-Chenani section.

A landslide struck the area late on Thursday night following prolonged heavy rain. Although the road was cleared and made trafficable within about two hours, another spell of heavy rain on Friday morning triggered a fresh landslide at the same location, forcing crews to temporarily suspend work.

After rainfall eased at about 2 p.m., NHAI teams resumed operations with heavy equipment and additional manpower. The debris was cleared within about four hours, allowing two-way traffic to resume.

NHAI officials said teams and machinery would remain deployed at vulnerable points along the highway to respond quickly to further weather-related incidents.

Following the reopening, authorities allowed regulated movement of stranded heavy vehicles, including trucks carrying essential supplies, from Udhampur towards Kashmir.

Stranded light motor vehicles from Qazigund were also allowed to travel towards Jammu under controlled conditions after traffic officials deemed the route safe.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic), National Highway, Raja Adil Hameed, supervised traffic regulation and restoration work at several vulnerable points, including Dewal and Samroli.

Authorities urged motorists to drive cautiously, maintain lane discipline and follow official traffic advisories, warning that intermittent rainfall could still cause landslides and shooting stones.

The highway closure came during an intense period of monsoon activity that has repeatedly disrupted road connectivity across Jammu and Kashmir.

Heavy rain triggered landslides, flash floods, mudslides and rockfalls in parts of Ramban, Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts.

The adverse weather also forced the suspension of the Amarnath pilgrimage and temporarily disrupted pilgrimages to the Mata Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori and Sarthal Devi shrines. Schools in Udhampur district were also closed because of the weather.

With the Srinagar-Jammu highway now reopened, authorities said the annual Amarnath pilgrimage would resume on Saturday after the six-day suspension.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast further rain in the coming days, and officials cautioned that fresh landslides, mudslides and shooting stones remained possible along vulnerable mountain roads.