Jammu, July 27:
Road traffic in Jammu and Kashmir has been affected due to incessant rains. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended following a fresh landslide in Dewal area of Udhampur district on Monday. Due to this, around 1700 trucks and several passenger vehicles were stranded.
Vehicular movement has been stopped on both sides of the highway.
Officials said that due to the rain, there is a risk of further landslides and stone falls.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed machinery and staff at the spot to clear the debris and restore the road at the earliest.
Meanwhile, a convoy of 3,823 pilgrims going to Baltal for the Amarnath Yatra was allowed to pass through the affected stretch amid security arrangements.
PWD (R&B) Doda Executive Engineer Anil Mehra said that in the initial investigation, the marks seen on the bridge were not found to be structural cracks. These can be caused by concrete overlap at the shuttering joints during construction.
He said that an expert team of design inspection and quality control will also inspect the bridge. The bridge will be reopened for traffic only after the approval of experts. At present, vehicles are being sent through the alternative Ganpat bridge.
