Srinagar, Oct 15: Massive landslides triggered by heavy rainfall at Rajarwani have kept the Uri-Baramulla highway closed for over 20 hours, disrupting traffic movement and leaving at least 50 villages in the Uri area without electricity after a 33 KV power line was damaged.
Officials said restoration work on the highway was underway and traffic was expected to resume by the evening, while electricity restoration remained uncertain due to the extent of the damage.
The landslides occurred at Rajarwani near ADIT-4, adjacent to NHPC Uri-I, where shooting stones continued to pose a serious threat to commuters, prompting the Uri administration to issue a traffic advisory late Wednesday night.
In the advisory, the administration urged people to avoid the affected stretch and use the alternate route via Gingle–Dawaran–Paranpillan–Bandi–Uri until the road was cleared.
The prolonged closure has caused considerable inconvenience to residents, particularly those travelling for work and other essential purposes.
Locals said frequent disruptions on the highway had become routine since the widening of the strategic road was taken up. They said repeated closures were affecting daily life and forcing commuters to take longer alternate routes to reach their destinations.
“It has been over 20 hours since the road was closed, but it is still not open. We are suffering,” locals said, urging the authorities to expedite restoration work.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Uri Gaurav Yadav said clearance work was underway at the affected Rajarwani stretch.
“We are expecting it to be opened for traffic by the evening hours, as there has been massive damage,” he told Rising Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the landslides have also disrupted electricity supply to dozens of villages after damaging a 33 KV transmission line and several electric poles in the area.
Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Uri, Imran Latief, said restoration work could not begin until access to the affected stretch was restored.
“Heavy landslides have caused massive damage. The 33 KV line has been damaged, along with around four electric poles. We are waiting for the highway to reopen so that restoration work can be taken up,” he said.
Latief said the department would try to restore electricity in some areas during the night, but expressed uncertainty over the timeline given the extent of the damage.
The disruption has added to the difficulties faced by residents already grappling with the highway closure, with the loss of electricity further affecting normal life in the affected villages.
Locals have appealed to the administration and concerned departments to clear the highway and restore electricity at the earliest to minimise the hardship caused by the landslides.
