Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat on Wednesday visited the Tharad village on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the Udhampur district to review the ongoing restoration work, officials said.

This visit by the DGP follows a high-level meeting on Tuesday chaired by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to review the status of the highway, which has remained closed for heavy vehicles following massive damage caused by heavy rains and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir last month.Accompanied by Inspector General (IG) of Traffic Police Suleman Choudhary, the DGP visited the Tharad stretch of the highway and reviewed the situation and vehicular movement, they said.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also faced backlash from various quarters for failing to widen and level a 300-metre stretch constructed at Tharad in the Udhampur district after the existing highway was buried under debris.

According to officials, the poor condition of this stretch is causing significant hindrance to the smooth movement of traffic along the highway.