Kishtwar, May 28 — Traffic on the crucial National Highway 244 was restored on Wednesday approximately 4:30 p.m., three days after a massive landslide near the Phagumar-Kandini stretch in Kishtwar district had brought vehicular movement to a standstill.
The blockade, which began on May 25, had left scores of vehicles and commuters stranded on either side of the slide. Restoration efforts were led by R&B Infra, the executing agency for the highway under Package III, which deployed heavy machinery and carried out controlled blasting operations to clear large boulders obstructing the route.
The round-the-clock clearance operation was supervised by senior officials including Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Rajesh Kumar Shavan, ARTO Tasleem Wani, DySP Traffic, GM NHIDCL, and engineers from the executing agency. Despite challenging terrain and the threat of recurring landslides, the teams succeeded in reopening the road late Tuesday afternoon.
Passengers had earlier been transhipped across the affected zone while essential supplies were held up due to the blockage. Relief measures, including distribution of drinking water to stranded drivers, were undertaken by district authorities.
Officials told The Chenab Times that while the road has been made traffic-worthy, commuters are advised to exercise caution as the hillside remains fragile in the wake of recent rains.
The NH244 serves as a critical link between Chenab Valley and the Kashmir Valley, and its restoration is expected to significantly ease movement of both civilian and commercial traffic.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
