Two pieces of official traffic news matter for anyone moving around Jammu this week: a directive for Diwali traffic plans, and the daily status of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
What police have been told to do
On 5 November, IGP Traffic J&K M Suleman Choudhary chaired a review meeting and directed officers to prepare comprehensive Diwali traffic management plans for Jammu, Srinagar and other major towns, given the expected rise in vehicles and pedestrians from festive shopping. He asked for special attention to market areas, shopping complexes, religious places, major intersections and places where temporary stalls selling sweets and firecrackers come up.
- Visible deployment of traffic personnel.
- Regulated roadside parking and no unauthorised encroachment.
- Smooth passage for emergency vehicles.
- A review of congestion points, accident hotspots and black spots.
Amit Bhasin, SSP Traffic City Jammu, was among those at the meeting. For the winter, the IGP also told Kashmir-based officers and the SSP Traffic National Highway to prepare plans for Qazigund, the highway, the Mughal Road and Sonamarg, with snow-clearance machinery ready and no vehicles allowed towards vulnerable stretches without clearance.
NH-44 on the way home
On 6 November, traffic authorities said NH-44 stayed open to two-way traffic for light, medium and heavy vehicles, but movement was slow at several points between Udhampur and Banihal because of road construction and widening. The uneven surface at Dewal in Udhampur district and a narrow single-lane stretch between Maroog and Kishtwari Pather in Ramban were named as the main bottlenecks. Open status for 7 November was subject to weather and road conditions. See also our weather update: rain and snow are forecast from 12 November.
A checklist
- Leave extra time for market areas in the evening; expect parking to be regulated.
- Check the day's NH-44 status with traffic police before a long trip.
- Avoid the highway on days of forecast rain or snow unless the road is declared clear.
Sources: Greater Kashmir, IGP Traffic review; Greater Kashmir, NH-44 status.
