Traffic on Srinagar-Leh highway restored after 10 hours of interruption due to mudslides, locals demand construction of a vast bridge

Kashmir News Trust

After 10 hours of interruption due to mudslides, the highway, connecting the Ladakh region with Kashmir was thrown open for traffic on Tuesday late afternoon.

Traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway was suspended, following the mudslides at Shah Mohalla Kullan around 5 AM on Tuesday morning in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, a Beacon police official told news agency Kashmir News Trust.

He said after the massive mudslides, 122 RCC, Beacon immediately pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the traffic.

Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Tehsildar Gund, Police officers from police stations Gund and Kangan visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

Local sources said that 8 residential houses suffered partial damage due to the mudslides.

The highway was thrown open for traffic after 3 PM. A large number of vehicles had been stopped at different places after the mudslides that were triggered by massive rains.

While talking to KNT, locals said that the area is prone to mudslides because of the dilapidated and small bridge over the nallah. In 2015, fiver persons including three of a family were killed and at least 12 houses were damaged at the same place when rains triggered flash floods and mudslides. After the incident, locals had approached the administration requesting it to construct and vast concrete bridge over the nallah.

‘The then District Magistrate had directed Beacon to start work on the new bridge, however, Beacon didn’t show any interest, the locals said.

The locals added that they were mulling organizing a protest after the mudslides incident, however, they dropped the idea as they don’t want the ’Yatra’ should be disrupted.

“We reiterate our demand of setting up a bridge that should be concrete and bigger than the existing one,” they said. (KNT)