Jammu–Srinagar Highway Landslide Crisis 2025: Kashmir’s Lifeline Buried Under Mud and Neglect
By: Javid Amin | 31 Aug 2025
Kashmir’s Lifeline Cut Off for the Sixth Day: What Happened?
For the past six consecutive days, the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44)—the Valley’s only all-weather road link to the rest of India—has remained blocked by massive landslides and road sinking. Triggered by relentless monsoon rains and cloudbursts, the fragile slopes of Udhampur and Ramban have once again caved in, choking traffic, stranding passengers, and disrupting the movement of essential supplies.
What makes this closure particularly alarming is not just its duration, but also the scale of damage: a 150-meter-wide landslide at Tharad (Chenani–Udhampur stretch) has buried one tunnel and threatens the second. At Balli Nallah and Marog, fresh slips continue to undo restoration efforts, forcing authorities to halt clearance operations every few hours.
The crisis is not new—every monsoon, Kashmir is cut off by highway blockades. But 2025 has shown us a brutal truth: this road, built decades ago through fragile Himalayan terrain, is collapsing under the weight of climate change, unregulated development, and poor slope management.
Why NH-44 Matters: The Lifeline of Kashmir
For most parts of India, a blocked highway is an inconvenience. For Kashmir, it’s a lifeline cut off.
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Fuel & Food Supply: Every day, thousands of trucks carrying petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders, fruits, vegetables, and ration move along NH-44. A six-day closure risks fuel shortages, LPG scarcity, and soaring food prices in the Valley.
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Medical Emergencies: Hospitals depend on this highway for oxygen supplies, critical medicines, and equipment. Delays can literally cost lives.
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Tourism & Trade: Kashmir’s tourism season—already hit by rains—suffers as travelers are stranded. Fruit exports, especially apples and cherries, face huge losses.
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Connectivity: NH-44 is the only all-weather road. Alternate routes like Mughal Road and SSG Road remain seasonal, weather-dependent, and capacity-limited.
In simple words, if NH-44 collapses, Kashmir’s economy and survival hang by a thread.
The Fragile Himalayas: Why Landslides Are Getting Worse
To understand the crisis, we must look beyond rainfall and focus on the vulnerability of Himalayan geology.
1. Young and Unstable Mountains
The Himalayas are geologically young, still rising due to tectonic activity. This makes them naturally prone to landslides. Even moderate rainfall can loosen their slopes.
2. Monsoon Intensification
Climate scientists have warned that cloudbursts and extreme rainfall events are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The 2025 monsoon has seen unprecedented downpours in Udhampur, Ramban, and Banihal, saturating the soil and triggering slides.
3. Unregulated Development
Highway widening projects, blasting of mountains for tunnels, deforestation, and stone quarrying have destabilized slopes further. Without proper slope stabilization and drainage, roads cut through fragile terrain act like ticking time bombs.
4. Silted Rivers and Drainage Failure
The Jhelum and its tributaries remain undredged since 2020, leading to poor drainage. When rainwater has nowhere to go, it accelerates slope erosion and road sinking.
On the Ground: Status Update
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Traffic Halted: No fresh vehicles allowed from Jammu or Srinagar.
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Stranded Vehicles: Trucks and buses stuck between Ramban and Udhampur are being cleared slowly, but new landslides halt progress.
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Tharad Landslide: 150-meter-wide slide has blocked one tube; fears remain for the second.
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Balli Nallah & Marog: Frequent sinking and mudslides have forced repeated shutdowns.
The SSP Traffic has issued strict orders: “Travel only after official clearance from TCUs. The situation is highly unpredictable.”
Govt Response: CM Omar Abdullah’s Statement
Visiting the damaged sites, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the severity of the crisis:
“This time, Udhampur is the most problematic stretch, not Ramban–Banihal. Restoration may take 20–25 days. Our priority is to ensure stranded travellers are safe and supplies reach Kashmir through alternate routes.”
Relief camps have been set up in Ramban, Banihal, and Udhampur. Food, water, and shelter are being provided, but many commuters complain of poor arrangements, inflated prices, and lack of toilets.
Alternate Routes: How Reliable Are They?
With NH-44 blocked, authorities have opened alternate routes. But are they reliable enough?
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Mughal Road (Shopian–Poonch): Open for LMVs and essential trucks, but has strict cut-off timings. Vulnerable to slips and blockages.
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Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag Road (NH-244): Allows one-way LMV movement, but not suitable for heavy cargo.
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SSG Road (Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumari): Open for LMVs and HMVs, but strictly weather-dependent. Avalanches and shooting stones are frequent.
In short, none of these roads can fully replace NH-44, highlighting the Valley’s overdependence on a single corridor.
Impact on People & Economy
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Stranded Passengers: Families, students, and tourists stuck for days without basic facilities.
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Truck Drivers: Forced to sleep inside trucks, spend extra money on food, and risk losses due to perishable goods.
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Local Businesses: Shortages of fresh vegetables, dairy, and meat already pushing up prices in Srinagar.
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Apple Traders: Perishable fruit stuck in trucks is rotting, causing crores in losses.
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Daily Wage Workers: Construction halted, tourism slowed—many are losing livelihoods.
Environmental Lens: Highway vs Himalayas
Every attempt to “fix” NH-44—through **blasting, tunneling, and slope cutting—**has further destabilized the fragile ecology. Experts argue that instead of endless patchwork repairs, we need:
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Slope stabilization with bio-engineering (vegetation, terracing, drainage)
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Restricting deforestation and illegal mining
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Climate-resilient road design with tunnels bypassing unstable zones
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Watershed management to reduce runoff and landslide triggers
Ignoring these ecological realities means repeating the same cycle every monsoon.
Long-Term Solutions: What Needs to Be Done
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All-Weather Alternative Corridor: Build a second dependable highway with tunnels bypassing Udhampur–Ramban.
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Slope Stabilization: Invest in modern engineering + ecological methods.
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Smart Monitoring: Install landslide early warning systems, rainfall sensors, and live dashboards.
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Rail Connectivity: Expedite the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link to reduce dependence on road transport.
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Strict Enforcement: Stop construction on fragile slopes, penalize encroachments, and regulate quarrying.
Traveller Advisory
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Always confirm road status with Traffic Police TCUs, Twitter, or Facebook before travel.
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Carry essentials (water, food, medicines, power banks) when traveling during monsoon.
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Avoid night travel, overtaking, or ignoring convoys.
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If stranded, contact local DC offices or helplines for relief camps.
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Kashmir’s Future
The Jammu–Srinagar highway crisis 2025 is not just about a road closure. It is a mirror reflecting decades of negligence—poor planning, ignored environmental warnings, and overdependence on one fragile corridor.
Every monsoon, Kashmiris brace for shortages, tourists cancel bookings, and truck drivers sleep on highways. Unless we invest in climate-smart infrastructure, the Valley’s lifeline will remain hostage to rains and landslides.
Kashmir deserves more than patchwork repairs. It deserves a safe, reliable, sustainable road network that respects the Himalayas while serving its people.
