Cloudburst in J&K shuts Srinagar-Leh highway

Srinagar: The strategic Srinagar-Leh national highway was closed on Sunday after a series of devastating mudslides which were triggered by a cloudburst near the Cherwan Padabal area in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, officials said.

The cloudburst, a sudden and intense rainfall event, occurred without a warning, unleashing torrents of water that cascaded down the mountainsides.

The deluge quickly saturated the soil, leading to large sections of earth breaking free and sliding down, engulfing the highway in a mass of mud and debris, reports said.

“Our priority is to clear the road. In those houses where the debris has entered, we rescued the residents and shifted them to safer places. The district police, administration, and private establishments are working in tandem. We will be able to clear it today,” Gulzar Ahmad, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Ganderbal, said.

Authorities have urged residents and travelers to stay away from the area until the situation is under control and the highway is declared safe for passage.

“I'll advise people who are travelling on the Srinagar-Leh route and those who are on Amarnath Yatra to be informed about the situation and wait for the update from the district administration,” SDM Ganderbal said.

The closure of the Srinagar-Leh highway underscores the region's vulnerability to natural disasters and the need for robust infrastructure and emergency preparedness.