Srinagar: Industrialists from across Kashmir on Monday joined fruit growers and traders at Sopore Mandi and other places to protest against the prolonged closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH-44), which has left fruit consignments stranded and caused unprecedented losses during the ongoing harvest season.
At Sopore, a protest was organised by the Fruit Association Sopore under the leadership of its President Fayaz Ahmad, popularly known as Kaka Ji. The participants accused the government of failing to ensure uninterrupted movement of fruit-laden trucks and of not putting in place alternative transport arrangements to supply markets outside the Valley.
Scores of entrepreneurs, led by President of Industrial Estate Sopore and Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) member, Javid Ahmad Bhat, joined the protest in solidarity with the orchardists. They described the action as a “wake-up call” for the authorities.
In a statement, the FCIK expressed serious concern over what it called “colossal losses” faced by fruit growers and allied industries due to transport disruptions. The body warned that if the situation persists, the current harvest season would be “ruined entirely.” It said the absence of remedial measures reflected a “serious governance failure.”
With horticulture forming the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, the crisis has already placed the livelihoods of lakhs of people in jeopardy, the federation noted.
The FCIK demanded immediate restoration of highway connectivity with dedicated traffic management, besides opening of alternative routes including the Mughal Road. It also called for permanent railway freight services and special transport facilities such as deployment of trucks and reefer vans to prevent fruit spoilage.
The chamber further backed growers’ demand for adequate compensation for losses already incurred, while endorsing the seven-point demand charter of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union. It stressed the need for a long-term logistics and horticulture export policy to safeguard the sector.
“Any further neglect will push Kashmir’s fruit industry and allied sectors into irreversible decline,” the FCIK warned.
