Jammu/Srinagar, Aug 18: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was shut for traffic early Monday after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides and shooting stones from hillocks overlooking the arterial road in Ramban district.
Traffic is plying normally on inter-regional roads — Mughal and Sinthan roads — and commuters are advised to follow lane discipline as overtaking will cause congestion.
“Jammu-Srinagar highway is closed due to shooting stones at several places. Heavy rains are going on along the highway. All types of vehicular movement have been stopped,” an advisory of the J-K Traffic Police Department said.
It further said commuters are advised not to travel until the weather improves and the road is cleared.
Heavy rains have triggered landslides on the national highway near Sharda Mata temple in Udhampur district besides Monkey Morh and the Maroog area of Ramban district.
Men and machines are working to clear the highway of blockades and make it trafficable, they said.
Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rains lashed wide parts of Kashmir on Monday, prompting authorities to set up emergency control rooms in vulnerable parts of the valley, officials said.
Heavy rains lashed Srinagar, Kupwara, Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts of the valley since Monday morning.
They said in the Warnov forest area of Lolab in Kupwara, torrential rains accompanied by thunder forced people to rush towards safer places, fearing a cloudburst.
The Indian Meteorological Department’s Srinagar Centre has issued an advisory of moderate to heavy rainfall in many parts of Kashmir valley.
In view of the inclement weather, police in Pulwama and Anantnag districts have established emergency helplines to facilitate the general public and to avoid any untoward incident.
“General public is advised to exercise utmost caution during the period of weather advisory from 17th to 19th Aug 2025. All the residents living near river Jhelum and local nallahs are urged not to venture into or around water bodies to avoid any activities in their vicinity until the weather improves,” the advisory issued by Pulwama police read.
A similar advisory was issued by Anantnag police.
