Jammu–Srinagar Highway Turns Into 12-Hour Nightmare as Repairs Drag On
By: Javid Amin| 14 September 2025
A Road That Decides Kashmir’s Fate
Every region has a road that defines it. For Kashmir, that road is the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44). Stretching 270 kilometers through breathtaking mountains, valleys, and rivers, NH-44 is not just asphalt and tunnels—it is Kashmir’s economic lifeline, its tourism gateway, and its only all-weather connection to the rest of India.
When this road works, apples reach Delhi markets fresh, tourists arrive in Srinagar smiling, petrol pumps stay supplied, and households run smoothly. But when the road fails, as it often does, the Valley feels cut off, businesses collapse, and families suffer.
Today, the highway is in its worst condition in years. What was once a 5-hour journey from Jammu to Srinagar now stretches into 12 hours or more, with frequent blockades, landslides, and sinking patches. Following the record rainfall of August 26–27, 2025, entire stretches collapsed between Nashri and Udhampur, the Peerah tunnel tube remains blocked, and the Samroli area lost entire sections of road.
Despite partial reopening under a one-way system, traffic chaos dominates daily life. The ripple effects are severe: from apple farmers watching their produce rot to tourists canceling trips and locals stuck for days on the road.
This article dives deep into the ground realities of NH-44, the human struggles of commuters, the socioeconomic shockwaves, and the long-term lessons Kashmir must learn from this recurring crisis.
NH-44 – Kashmir’s Lifeline and Weakness
The Jammu–Srinagar Highway is more than a transport route—it is a lifeline in the truest sense. Built across unstable Himalayan terrain, the road links Jammu with Srinagar via Udhampur, Ramban, Banihal, and Qazigund.
Every truck that brings rice, pulses, cooking oil, fuel, medicines, and construction materials into Kashmir depends on this road. Every truck that carries apples, walnuts, handicrafts, and carpets out of Kashmir also depends on it.
Kashmir’s rail link (USBRL project) remains incomplete, and air transport is too costly for bulk goods. As a result, 95% of trade and transport flows through NH-44. Its fragility exposes an entire region’s dependence on one narrow artery.
Historically, this highway has been prone to:
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Landslides at Ramban, Ramsu, and Panthyal.
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Snowfall closures near Banihal and Jawahar Tunnel (before the new Banihal-Qazigund tunnel).
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Flood-related collapses in Udhampur district.
Yet despite decades of upgrades—including tunnels, viaducts, and slope protections—the highway remains dangerously vulnerable.
August 2025 Rains – When the Highway Gave Way
The heavy rains of August 26–27, 2025 turned NH-44 into a disaster zone.
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Nashri–Udhampur stretch: Multiple landslides buried vehicles under debris.
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Tharad and Balli Nallah: The road collapsed, leaving gaps where cars once passed.
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Samroli area: Entire patches of asphalt washed away.
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Peerah tunnel: One tube remains blocked, funneling all traffic into a single congested lane.
Engineers from NHAI and J&K administration now face a Himalayan engineering challenge: stabilizing slopes prone to sliding and rebuilding roadbeds that keep sinking.
An NHAI official admitted:
“We are battling geology as much as weather. Every time we clear one landslide, another emerges. Full restoration could take three months—or longer if rains continue.”
This uncertainty is paralyzing Kashmir’s economy.
The Human Struggle – Commuters Caught in a Corridor of Chaos
For the ordinary Kashmiri traveler, NH-44 has turned into a corridor of chaos.
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12+ hour delays: What should be half a day’s trip now consumes an entire day and night.
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Schoolchildren and patients stranded: Students miss exams, patients miss hospital appointments in Jammu.
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Truckers stranded for days: Lines of trucks stretch for kilometers, their drivers living out of cabins.
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Slippery road patches: Cars often need to be pushed manually by loaders, reducing dignity to desperation.
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Absence of traffic regulation: With police scarce and discipline missing, overtaking, double-parking, and VIP movement worsen jams.
A commuter, Shazia from Srinagar, recalls:
“We left Jammu at 6 a.m. and reached home at 1 a.m. the next morning. My children cried of hunger and exhaustion. Nobody was there to regulate the mess.”
Truck driver Bashir Ahmad adds:
“We spend three nights on the road, cooking dal on a small stove. Every extra day here means lost income. We earn nothing while our goods spoil.”
The human cost of a broken highway is time, dignity, health, and livelihoods.
Apple Industry – A Harvest Stuck on the Highway
Kashmir’s apple industry is worth nearly ₹12,000 crore annually, employing 3.5 million people directly and indirectly. Apples are the Valley’s pride and its biggest economic export.
But apples are perishable. They need to reach mandis in Delhi, Punjab, and Maharashtra within 48–72 hours to fetch good prices. With NH-44 blocked:
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Mandis shut in protest: Traders refuse delayed apples that arrive stale.
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Farmers lose 30–40% of produce: Rot sets in inside trucks stranded for days.
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Cold storage is inadequate: With only ~1.5 lakh MT storage in the Valley, farmers can’t hold produce long.
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Export plans collapse: International buyers demand punctual shipments.
Apple grower Abdul Rashid laments:
“We work for a year in orchards, but one road decides our fate. Every extra hour on NH-44 eats into our profits. Our apples rot while Delhi eats imported ones.”
This crisis highlights how Kashmir’s rural economy hangs on a single fragile road.
Tourism Collapse – Who Will Drive 12 Hours for 270 km?
Tourism, the other economic pillar of Kashmir, is equally hit. For many tourists, the drive from Jammu to Srinagar is their first taste of the Valley. But with 12-hour delays, frustration replaces excitement.
Tour operators report:
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40% drop in inquiries for road packages.
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Pilgrimage circuits disrupted (Vaishno Devi–Amarnath–Gulmarg).
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Hotel cancellations rising, as tourists fear getting stuck mid-way.
On online forums, worried travelers ask:
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“Is Jammu–Srinagar highway safe?”
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“How long is the current travel time?”
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“Should I fly instead?”
Houseboat owner Gulzar Dar voices concern:
“Tourists who come by road never arrive on time. They cancel bookings. Our economy is bleeding not just from apples, but from empty rooms.”
For Kashmir’s fragile tourism sector, NH-44 is now a barrier instead of a gateway.
Ripple Effects on Daily Life and Trade
The NH-44 block is not only about apples and tourists—it touches every Kashmiri home.
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Fuel shortage: Petrol and diesel prices rise ₹8–10/litre due to delays.
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Vegetable scarcity: Prices of tomatoes, onions, and poultry shoot up.
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Medicine crisis: Hospitals warn of shortages in life-saving drugs.
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Construction delays: Cement and steel trucks stand still, halting projects.
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Mental stress: Teachers, traders, daily wage workers lose time and income.
Every lane in Srinagar reflects the fragility of depending on one unstable road.
A History of Repeated Blockades
The current crisis is not new. NH-44 has a history of failures:
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1990s–2000s: Frequent snow blockades at Jawahar Tunnel.
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2012: Massive Ramban landslide blocked the road for 12 days.
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2014 floods: Highway submerged in multiple locations.
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2017 Panthyal landslides: Dozens of vehicles buried.
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2021–2022: Multiple winter closures cut Valley off for days.
Each year, Kashmir relives the same cycle—blockade, delay, outrage, repair, and then silence—until the next blockade.
Government Response – Promises and Gaps
The J&K administration and NHAI have promised:
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More machinery for landslide clearance.
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Geo-engineering solutions to stabilize slopes.
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Peerah tunnel restoration to allow dual-lane traffic.
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Alternate route upgrades (Mughal Road, Sinthan Pass).
However, critics argue:
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Execution is slow, with bureaucratic delays.
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VIP priorities worsen ordinary commuters’ misery.
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Temporary fixes dominate instead of long-term planning.
An infrastructure expert notes:
“Every blockade is treated as an emergency, not a lesson. Kashmir needs redundancy in connectivity, not firefighting.”
Lessons from Other Himalayan States
Other mountain states face similar challenges but offer lessons:
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Himachal Pradesh: Uses avalanche galleries and snow sheds on Rohtang routes.
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Uttarakhand: Char Dham highway project includes slope stabilization nets and tunnels.
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Nepal: Built alternate roads post-2015 earthquake to reduce dependence on one highway.
Kashmir too must adopt multi-route, multi-mode resilience—not depend solely on NH-44.
Future Roadmap – Breaking Free from Highway Dependency
Experts recommend:
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Complete USBRL rail project (Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla line) to reduce truck dependence.
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Develop Mughal Road into an all-weather alternate highway.
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Cold storage and air freight hubs to preserve apples and perishable goods.
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Digital traffic management systems to regulate flows.
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Eco-sensitive engineering—avoiding construction practices that destabilize slopes.
Unless systemic fixes are implemented, Kashmir will remain hostage to NH-44 every monsoon and winter.
A Road That Mirrors Kashmir’s Struggles
The Jammu–Srinagar Highway is not just a stretch of asphalt—it is Kashmir’s artery of survival. Its collapse shows how deeply livelihoods, commerce, and hope are tied to a single fragile road.
Farmers’ apples rot, tourists cancel trips, truckers lose days, and households pay more for essentials. The highway’s dysfunction is no longer just a logistical inconvenience—it is a livelihood emergency.
Kashmir’s future demands resilient infrastructure, alternate routes, and smarter planning. Otherwise, every year the Valley will remain at the mercy of a road that promises life but delivers chaos.
