Srinagar-Jammu national highway shut after heavy rain, shooting stones

August 18, 2025

Srinagar: Heavy rainfall on Monday led to shooting stones at multiple locations, prompting authorities to suspend all traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway as a safety precaution. Officials said the road remains shut due to the risk posed by falling debris from continuous rain, and advised commuters to avoid travel until debris is cleared and conditions improve.

Weather conditions were described as adverse across the highway, with officials warning that heavy downpours have heightened the likelihood of rockfalls. The highway, the sole all-weather link connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country, frequently experiences closures during the monsoon season due to landslides and rockfalls, disrupting travel and the movement of essential goods.

In response to these disruptions, the region has increasingly relied on the Vande Bharat train service to mitigate passenger traffic, and a freight train has already operated, delivering cement to the Valley. As more goods trains are expected to run regularly in the coming days, road transport is expected to be supplemented by rail freight to manage shortages and maintain supply.