The Indian Army and Air Force officers may have been working round the clock to stock essential supplies for the flood-affected people in Srinagar but hundreds of supply trucks stocked with essential supplies and other material are still stranded in Jammu waiting for the opening of the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
Traffic was halted on the 300-km long highway after torrential rains triggered massive landslides near Ramsoo in Ramban district last week.Since then men deployed by BRO are working round the clock to clear the debris but the inclement weather conditions spoiled their hardwork on two occasions. According to MoD spokesman, Col SD Goswami, at least 5-6 days are required to throw open the crucial road link.
The army has so far rescued 8000 passengers by providing them transport services on both sides of the highway.Civilians trekked few kilometers on foot to cross the land slide prone areas and later boarded transport buses organised by the army to reach Jammu.Meanwhile, the drivers stranded in Jammu are also running out of their resources and waiting for their turn to proceed towards their final destination. Hailing from Kashmir region some of the drivers are feeling bad as they could not reach their homes to join their families in most difficult times.
Abdul Aziz, stranded in Jammu said, ‘i am waiting in Jammu since September 4 for the highway to reopen but police authorities here say it will take at least one week before the road is cleared”. Aziz staying inside his truck claimed now several truckers are also running out of their resources and urging their employers to send them some money to sustain themselves.