Massive landslides block Srinagar-Jammu highway; evacuation complete, restoration underway
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the Jammu and Kashmir government is making all-out efforts to reopen the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway within the next 24 hours.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said, “Our foremost priority was to safeguard the lives of people trapped due to the landslides. We managed to evacuate them promptly and safely.”
He emphasized that the next critical step is to restore the vital highway link. “Until the road is reconnected, we cannot ensure the movement of essential supplies to areas like Ramban,” he said, adding that officials have assured him that single-lane traffic will be restored soon.
Omar highlighted the continuous monitoring of the situation over the past three days. “On the first day, the Deputy Chief Minister and the local MLA visited the site. I personally visited Ramban on the second day to ensure there was no loss of life.”
He stressed the importance of swift action. “Any work that can be completed at a fast pace is always more impactful,” he said.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that temporary relief is already being provided to affected families, and efforts are underway to deliver compensation as quickly as possible through the Red Cross.
“As for the damages, a proper assessment will be conducted, and compensation will be distributed under the norms of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF),” he said.
Omar concluded by stating that the state government will request the Centre to declare the affected area a disaster zone, expressing confidence that support from the Government of India will follow(DD)