SRINAGAR: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the crucial lifeline connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, has been closed for a staggering 223 days over the past five years, official records reveal in response to an RTI query. Frequent blockades, primarily caused by landslides and shooting stones, have disrupted trade, delayed commuters, and impacted students, patients, and others travelling for work or social events.
The treacherous 250-kilometre stretch, particularly the 65-kilometre section between Banihal and Ramban, is prone to landslides, especially at Kela Morh and Panthal Morh in Ramban tehsil. This segment has claimed lives and caused significant travel delays. Between 2019 and 2023, commuters lost 5,413 hours on the highway, with 2023 recording the highest disruption of 58 days (1,458 hours). According to the information furnished by the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police to a Right to Information (RTI) activist, MM Shuja, the highway was blocked for 223 days since 2019, during which commuters and transporters lost 5413 hours of their travel time.
The highest amount of time lost since 2019 was 58 days (1458 hours) in 2023, while it was 41 days (989 hours) in 2022, 23 days (549 hours) in 2021, 47 days (1138 hours) in 2020, and 54 days (1279 hours) in 2019.
While officials assert that highway conditions have improved recently, the chronic closures have caused widespread frustration. Authorities have emphasised the urgent need for better infrastructure and safety measures to ensure smoother connectivity.
