Daijiworld Media Network - Satara
Satara, Jul 28: The Satara-Mahabaleshwar road in Maharashtra has been completely closed to traffic following a landslide at Kelghar Ghat in Satara district, authorities said.
The landslide deposited large quantities of rocks and soil on the roadway, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the route.
Members of the Sahyadri Trekkers group joined rescue and clearance efforts, while JCB machines were pressed into service to remove the debris.
During the operation, one of the JCB machines reportedly became trapped in the landslide debris, hampering restoration work. Authorities have sought additional machinery and manpower from the district administration to expedite the clearance.
The administration has appealed to the public to avoid travelling on the Satara-Mahabaleshwar road until it is declared safe for traffic.
Meanwhile, a fresh landslide on Monday also disrupted traffic on the 250-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded.
Officials said the landslide occurred at Dewal early on Monday, forcing authorities to suspend traffic from both directions on the strategic highway.
According to the traffic department, around 1,700 trucks and several passenger vehicles were stranded between Udhampur and Banihal. Traffic was being regulated through a single carriageway while repair work on the damaged road surface continued.
Officials said priority was being given to passenger vehicles, and no fresh vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop, or in the reverse direction, would be permitted until restoration work was completed.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed personnel and machinery to clear the debris and restore traffic at the earliest.
Authorities have advised commuters to avoid travelling on the highway until it is officially reopened, warning of the risk of further landslides and falling rocks. They also urged the public to rely only on official traffic police updates for information on road conditions.
Despite the disruption, a convoy of 3,823 Amarnath pilgrims travelling in 140 vehicles was allowed to cross the affected stretch after one-way traffic was temporarily restored under tight security.
Officials said normal movement would resume after the second tunnel tube became operational. Traffic had resumed briefly on Sunday after remaining suspended for three days due to heavy rainfall-triggered landslides and shooting stones. However, following the passage of the Amarnath Yatra convoy, traffic was once again suspended to facilitate debris clearance in the Gangroo area along the Ramban-Banihal stretch.