by Navaid Runyal
SRINAGAR: The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of India, has once again exposed its vulnerability, as commuters report experiencing exhausting delays, with the journey taking more than 12 hours to cover what was once a smooth five-hour trip.
The 270 kilometres highway has been struggling since the heavy rains of late August washed away key portions and triggered massive landslides between Nashri and Udhampur. But travelers insist the misery is not just nature’s doing, poor planning, chaotic traffic movement, and lack of ground enforcement have multiplied the crisis.
Rain Damage Still Haunts Highway
The most battered spots lie between Peerah, Samroli, and Tharad, where the road surface has collapsed in several sections. One tube of a tunnel near Peerah remains blocked by landslides, while in Samroli entire road patches have been washed away.
To keep the highway open, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has built a makeshift diversion near Tharad after debris from a sliding hill buried both sides of the road. “The soil is still shifting. We cannot allow the road to remain idle for long, but each shower puts us back to zero,” said an NHAI supervisor stationed near Balli Nalla.
Traffic Control in Tatters
Although the traffic department has technically imposed one-way movement for light motor vehicles, the reality looks very different. Truckers, despite official restrictions, dominate the highway, parking haphazardly and choking one lane entirely.
The absence of, barricades, signboards, and traffic police, worsens the mess. Passengers often find themselves forced to drive on the wrong side or wait for hours without any guidance.
Jasbir Singh, a commuter heading to Jammu, recalled his ordeal, “After crossing Peerah, it took me almost eight hours to move three kilometres. Trucks had blocked one tube and spilled into the other. The entire stretch was left to chaos with nobody from the administration in sight.”
Commuters Pay the Price
The human cost of the mismanagement is glaring. Families travelling with children are stuck without food and washroom facilities, while ambulances carrying patients often remain trapped in bumper-to-bumper jams.
Hidayat Rahi, a bank employee at Ramsoo, described the experience as harrowing, “We were told it is a one-way traffic, but the ground reality was different. At Banihal, there was zero lane discipline. The highway has become a gamble, you do not know if you will reach in 8 hours or 18.”
Economy Also Bears the Brunt
The highway is not just vital for passengers, it is the artery of Kashmir’s economy. Apple-laden trucks and other perishable goods risk spoilage as they crawl through the clogged corridors. Despite official restrictions, over 2,000 trucks moved on the road between Friday evening and Saturday morning alone, according to toll plaza records.
Local traders fear heavy financial losses if the situation continues. “Each extra day on the road for our fruit trucks means lakhs lost. The government must either regulate movement properly or provide alternate routes,” said Bashir Ahmad, a fruit trader from Sopore.
Restoration to Take Months
Officials admit that complete repair is a long process. “In Samroli and Tharad, the roadbed has been washed away. It will take at least three months to rebuild and stabilise those sections,” an NHAI officer confirmed.
For now, only temporary arrangements and diversions keep traffic alive. Heavy motor vehicles are officially barred, but with mounting pressure from transporters, their presence on the highway is increasingly visible.
An Endless Test of Patience
From Nashri to Udhampur, commuters face an endless cycle of jams, halts for repair works, and reckless overtaking. Even in Udhampur town, important junctions like Jhakani remain paralysed for hours due to unchecked truck parking and lane violations.
“It is a complete collapse of traffic management. Authorities need to be stricter, otherwise even emergencies will not be spared,” said Ravi Kumar, a Jammu-based businessman, who claimed it took him two hours to cross just half a kilometre.
Highway Turns into Daily Gamble
With the rains leaving deep scars and management gaps widening them further, the Jammu–Srinagar highway has turned into a daily gamble for thousands who depend on it. For now, the lifeline of Kashmir remains a corridor of chaos, where uncertainty, delays, and frustration define every journey.
Truck driver Muntzar Ul Islam, who has been waiting with his vehicle for two days near Qazigund, summed up the frustration on the ground. “We are not asking for luxury, just a road to move. My truck is loaded with apples, and every passing hour is like watching my hard work rot in front of my eyes. Our families depend on this highway, when it stops, our lives stop.”
Echoing his concern, Mir Sehran, Media Incharge of Himalayan QRT Ramsoo, said the ordeal is not just about traffic but about dignity and survival. “You see children crying in stranded buses, patients trapped in ambulances, and drivers cooking meals on the roadside. This highway is supposed to connect lives, but right now it is breaking spirits. Authorities must understand the human side of this crisis before it becomes unbearable.”
The business fraternity of district Ramban expressed deep concern, saying the prolonged chaos on the highway has crippled local trade. “Shops remain half-empty, supply chains are broken, and transport costs have doubled. Small traders are the worst hit, many cannot even pay their workers because goods never arrive on time. We appeal to the administration to treat this highway not only as a road but as our lifeline. Every jam, every delay directly hurts thousands of families who depend on daily business for survival,” the traders said.
(The author is a geotechnical engineer from Marnal Maligam Pogal (Ramban), Jammu and Kashmir.)
