Srinagar: A delegation of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, led by its Chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer, met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan here on Monday to highlight the massive losses faced by the fruit industry due to the continued closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44).
The growers submitted a memorandum stating that the highway has remained blocked for over 20 days, leaving hundreds of apple, babugosha and other fruit-laden trucks stranded on the route for nearly three weeks. They said the situation has already resulted in huge financial losses for growers across the Valley.
Basheer said the Lt. Governor gave a patient hearing and assured the delegation that all fruit-laden trucks stranded on NH-44 and the Mughal Road would be cleared on priority. “The Lt. Governor also assured that the restoration of NH-44 would be taken up on war footing by tomorrow, and the issue of compensation for affected growers would also be considered,” he said.
Following the meeting at Raj Bhavan, the Union held a high-level review with Divisional Commissioner Kashmir in the presence of senior officials including the Inspector General of Police (Traffic), Deputy Inspector General of Police (Traffic), Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural), officers from Railway authorities, and the Director of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA).
During the discussions, Basheer raised alarm over the “existential crisis” faced by Valley-based fruit growers due to the prolonged blockade, warning that losses could run into “thousands of crores” if the consignments already stranded were damaged.
Divisional Commissioner assured the delegation that efforts to restore NH-44 were underway and that the highway would be “fully functional shortly.” In the interim, 10-tyre trucks have been allowed passage via Mughal Road, with authorities now permitting both 10-tyre and 6-tyre trucks to transport fruit consignments out of the Valley.
Representatives of fruit growers’ associations, who also attended the meeting, expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated highway blockades and suggested that if the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was unable to maintain NH-44 effectively, the road should be handed over to the Indian Army for management. They argued that the highway remains the only all-weather surface link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country and must be kept open round the clock.
The Divisional Commissioner reiterated that the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway would be restored fully at the earliest.
