Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Sep 15: With fruit mandis across Kashmir shutting down on Monday over the government’s failure to ensure smooth passage of fruit-laden trucks, political parties, religious leaders, and trade bodies extended support to growers, calling for immediate steps to restore highway access to protect the valley’s fruit industry.
Reacting to the issue, Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said the prolonged closure of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway has created a situation of grave concern. He said apple growers are suffering heavy losses as truckloads of fruit remain stranded, while petrol pumps across the valley are running dry due to a lack of fuel supply.
Calling the blockade a direct threat to both the economy and the daily lives of people, Mehdi urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to urgently intervene and ensure immediate restoration of smooth traffic movement.
People’s Conference (PC) president Sajad Gani Lone slammed the National Conference-led government over its handling of the ongoing crisis caused by disruptions on the Srinagar–Jammu national highway.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lone minced no words in castigating the government over hindrances in the movement of apple trucks on the highway.
“The apples destined for the rest of the country are in a state of rot. Massive losses for the apple growers. I am sure there must be some remedial measures,” Lone said in a post on X.
The MLA from Handwara criticised the administration’s inaction, saying that sitting like a mute spectator and doing nothing is criminal.
“Inclement weather is not the fault of the government. But sitting like a mute spectator and doing nothing is criminal,” he said.
The PC president asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to work out a strategy for facilitating unhindered movement of trucks on the highway. “Stop wandering aimlessly across the country. Sit with your officers and stakeholders and work out a strategy,” he posted on X.
Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Umar Farooq expressed deep concern over the situation faced by protesting fruit growers and orchardists, describing them as the backbone of Kashmir’s economy.
In a post on X, Mirwaiz said that fruit-laden trucks have been left stranded on the highway for days without passage, causing losses to growers and pushing their year’s hard work to the brink of ruin.
He termed the government’s apathy towards the issue as “shameful” and urged the authorities to ensure unhindered movement of trucks on priority to prevent further financial losses and to address the mental agony caused to the growers.
CPI(M) leader and MLA Kulgam, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, has called upon both the Union and Jammu and Kashmir governments to urgently address the problem. He conveyed his sympathies to the horticulturist community and demanded compensation for their losses.
Tarigami stressed the need to increase the frequency of van services to different states that serve as key markets for Kashmiri apples, so that the produce can reach buyers despite disruptions on the highway.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has stated that while the highway may reopen for light vehicles, full restoration will take longer. For many growers, Tarigami said, the delay puts their annual harvest at risk.
He added that the situation highlights the dependence of Kashmir’s economy on a single highway. With horticulture providing income to nearly 70% of households in the region, repeated disruptions linked to weather events are not only transport issues but also serious threats to economic stability.
The community is waiting to see whether government action will respond to the scale of the problem, the CPI(M) leader added.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti visited the Jablipora fruit mandi in Bijbehara, where she met growers and urged the government to maintain the highway and give priority to fruit-laden trucks moving from Srinagar towards Jammu.
The Jammu and Kashmir Justice and Development Front also condemned the government’s failure to ensure the unhindered movement of apple trucks on the Srinagar–Jammu highway, saying it has caused losses and hardship for fruit growers and their families.
The party said it stands in solidarity with growers who observed a shutdown in mandis and joined their call for urgent action to restore traffic and prevent further damage to Kashmir’s Rs 12,000 crore fruit economy. It described the present situation as a consequence of official apathy, poor planning, and slow-paced reconstruction work by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The JDF demanded that the administration and NHAI act without delay to clear blockaded stretches of the highway and ensure that trucks reach their destinations. It also sought the establishment of a monitoring mechanism to prevent similar crises in the future.
“The fruit industry is the heartbeat of Kashmir’s rural economy. Its suffering due to neglect is unacceptable,” the party said, urging the Chief Minister and the Government of India to prioritise infrastructure and the well-being of farmers over “bureaucratic inertia and empty assurances.”
President of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister, Hakeem Mohammed Yaseen urged the Union Territory government and the Centre to take urgent and serious measures for the immediate restoration of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, calling it the “lifeline” of Kashmir.
In a statement, Yaseen expressed deep concern over the prolonged highway closure, which he said has added to the suffering of the people of the valley, already reeling under floods and incessant rains.
“The Jammu-Srinagar highway is the only all-weather surface link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. Its closure has not only disrupted passenger movement but has also caused immense hardship to traders, fruit growers, and truckers,” he said.
The PDF chief added that the continued highway crisis has placed an unbearable burden on transporters and the economy of the valley.
