Around 500 vehicles stranded as massive landslide hits Bhaderwah valley

11 March, 2013

The Jammu-Bhaderwah national highway (NH1B), the only road link between Bhaderwah and rest of the country, was Sunday closed for vehicular traffic due a massive landslide and shooting stones, leaving over 500 vehicles stranded on both sides of the road at Shahpura-Purano on Doda Bhaderwah stretch 175 km from Jammu.

“The highway was closed for vehicular traffic today due to huge landslide at 6am and continuous shooting stones thereafter, the BRO men and machine reached here at 9am but till now road link could not be restored as we are waiting here for the last 8 hours,” said Mohd. Sultan, a Jammu bound passenger.

Border Roads Organisation or BRO is working to clear the debris created due to landslides but shooting stones are making the task difficult. “We have pressed two JCB machines and 50 men into service and are hopeful to restore the traffic by evening and to clear over 500 stranded vehicles,” a BRO official said.

The locals are up in arms against the BRO authorities as they alleged that unauthorised extraction of stones and use of sub-standard material in retaining walls is causing repeated landslides and sinking of road on Doda- Bhaderwah stretch of NH1B.

“BRO authorities and local administration are making mockery of Doda –Bhaderwah road, as there exists a free for all situation - both stone mafia and BRO extract stones anywhere from the roadsides, and there is hardly anyone to stop them from this illegal activity.”

“This causes repeated landslides and BRO is also using sub-standard material in retaining and breast walls causing sinking of road at several points,” said Sheikh Ayaz, General Secretary Block congress Bhaderwah.

He added that while filling the roads near retaining walls, BRO uses loose muck and query stones, however, according to the norms, road has to be filled with hand packed stones.

When contacted, DDC Doda Farooq Khan said that he has also seen people extracting stones from road sides several times, but denied that this activity was the sole reason for repeated landslides. He informed that he has directed SDM Bhaderwah and also written to the BRO authorities to clear the remains of landslides and repair the sunken portion of the road at the earliest.

This is the fourth major landslide on the same stretch of the highway in the month of March. Doda-Bhaderwah road was reopened partially at 4pm Sunday evening and nearly 200 of the stranded vehicles were cleared according to the latest reports.