The 270 Kms Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NHW-44) remained closed for vehicular traffic for the fifth consecutive day today due to massive landslide and sinking of the National Highway between Dalwas, Nashri and Peedha in the wee hours on Tuesday and fresh landslides at multiple locations on Thursday. AIR Jammu Correspondent reports that the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with rest of the country was closed in the wee hours on Tuesday due to a massive landslide and sinking of the national highway at Dalwas. The national highway was damaged due to a massive landslide and sinking of about 50 meters stretch of the road at Dhalwas due to heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

Moreover, incessant rainfall on Thursday morning triggered fresh landslides and shooting stones at Panthial, Mom Passi, Battery Chasms, Marog and Cafeteria Morh on the outskirts of Ramban town that has aggravated the situation. Hundreds of vehicles, mostly those carrying essential commodities have been stranded in long queues on the national highway at different locations on both the ends of the blocked site. Men and machinery had been mobilised to the spots for the clearance of the debris and making the national highway traffic worthy but heavy rainfall on Thursday hampered the debris and muck clearance operation from the road. Due to incessant drizzle and continuous sinking of road at Dhalwas yesterday the debris and  clearance operations from the National Highway were hampered. Efforts on war footing are in place to reopen the national highway and make it traffic worthy by the evening today.