Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Sep 8: As the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for another consecutive day, the Kashmir Valley is on the verge of facing an acute mutton shortage, with dealers warning of complete stock exhaustion from Tuesday-Wednesday onwards.
Dealers said the crisis has already forced the likely postponement of multiple events, including several weddings and other key functions.
“This is an extremely alarming situation, and if the government does not take it seriously, we might face an acute shortage of mutton across Kashmir,” Mehraj-Ud-Din Ganai, General Secretary of the Mutton Dealers Association said.
He added that if supplies do not reach within the next 24–48 hours via the Mughal Road, there will be zero availability of mutton across the valley.
Despite government assurances of routing essentials through the Mughal Road, trucks are repeatedly halted at Lakhanpur, Nowshera, Surankote and Poonch for several days, resulting in heavy financial losses.
“The stoppages and continuous halts are killing our livestock and crippling our trade,” Ganai said, adding that over the past week, mutton dealers have faced losses exceeding Rs 15 crore.
“We appeal to the administration to intervene immediately and ensure hassle-free passage of vehicles through the Mughal Road,” he added.
Notably, mutton is a key component of Kashmir’s food culture, with weddings and other functions heavily dependent on its availability. Moreover, the Srinagar-Jammu Highway—the valley’s only all-weather road link with the rest of the country, has been hit by multiple landslides and damage in Udhampur and other areas following heavy rains over the past two weeks, while restoration work is underway.
