Srinagar, April 6 (IANS) Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was suspended on Monday due to shooting stones and landslides in Ramban district.

Traffic department officials said that vehicular movement on the national highway has been stopped in both directions, from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa, as landslides and shooting stones blocked both roads between Karol Bridge and Chander Kot.

“People are advised not to travel on NH-44 until the road is fully restored. Please don’t pay heed to the rumours and check the status of the highway with the traffic department before undertaking the journey,” a statement by the traffic department said.

The strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway is still the lifeline for supplies to the landlocked Valley, although the rail link between the Jammu division and the Valley is fully functional now.

All stocks of LPG, mutton, poultry products, etc., are still brought into the Valley through this highway.

All-weather connectivity between the rest of the country and the Valley has been established by the arrival of the train, but cargo trains carrying goods to and from the Valley are still not regularly operated to reduce dependence on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

Although the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu has been reduced to five hours against 10 hours in the past due to the construction of flyovers, bridges and tunnels, the stretch of the highway between Ramsoo and Ramban town is still the most vulnerable part of this highway.

Landslides, mudslides and shooting stones are triggered due to rain on this stretch, leading to a blockade, sometimes for days together.

In 2025, huge losses were suffered by the fruit growers in the Valley due to the continued blockade of the highway, as trucks carrying fruit to national markets remained blocked.

The Northern Railway authorities have recently held a meeting with the stakeholders to start goods trains to carry fruit out of the Valley this year. Once parcel service begins, the horticulture industry of Kashmir would get the much-needed lease of life.

–IANS

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