SRINAGAR: For the tenth straight day, apple-laden trucks from Kashmir remain stranded as they have not been allowed to ply from Srinagar on the Kashmir National Highway today.
While light vehicles and some trucks have been permitted to ply from Jammu towards Srinagar since yesterday, the highway remains in poor condition near Bani Nallah, preventing movement of heavy fruit trucks.
In a new development, authorities announced that two train coaches—one bound for Delhi and another for Jammu—have been designated to carry apples from Kashmir, marking the first such initiative. However, fruit growers are sceptical about the move as inadequate.
“Apple is a mandi-to-mandi commodity. With train freight charges, plus loading, unloading, and transportation from the railway station to the mandis, costs will shoot up. Moreover, two coaches a day cannot meet the huge demand,” Abdul Qayoom, one trader told Ziraat Times.
Growers estimate losses have already crossed ₹700 crore due to the prolonged disruption. Hundreds of trucks loaded with apple produce remain parked across the Valley, awaiting clearance. Kashmir Fruit Growers Union are pinning hopes on the reopening of the highway later today to dispatch the fruit to markets outside Kashmir.
Kashmir’s horticulture sector, which contributes significantly to the region’s economy, faces mounting challenges with each passing day of disruption, sparking urgent calls for better road management and contingency measures to safeguard perishable commodities.
