Udhampur, Sep 15: Traffic chaos gripped the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) on Sunday, with long jams reported at Thard in Udhampur district, where only single-lane movement is currently allowed. Thousands of vehicles, including trucks and light motor vehicles, were left stranded.
Officials said a nearly 300-metre-long landslide had blocked the road earlier, forcing NHAI to carve a temporary passage by cutting through the mountain. However, the makeshift road cannot sustain heavy traffic, leading to repeated snarls.
Deputy SP Traffic Udhampur, Jatinder Singh, said the stretch could handle only about 40 trucks per hour, causing congestion to worsen. Travel from Udhampur to Thard, which normally takes minutes, is now stretching to two hours. Nearly 2,000 trucks remain stuck despite clearance efforts, he said.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway, a lifeline for the Valley’s supplies, has remained disrupted for over two weeks following rainfall-triggered landslides. Restoration work is ongoing, with LG Manoj Sinha recently reviewing the progress at Thard and urging speedy repairs.
