KCCI seeks green corridor for fruit trucks on NH-44 amid harvest season

Ziraat Times News Desk

Srinagar, Aug 3: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) has urged the Jammu & Kashmir administration to establish a dedicated “Green Corridor” for fruit-laden trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), citing concerns over recurring traffic disruptions during the peak horticulture harvesting season.

In a statement, the Chamber said the dispatch of early apple varieties, particularly Gala, along with plums and other perishable fruits, has begun at a time when intermittent highway closures caused by landslides, cloudbursts, shooting stones, flash floods, adverse weather and restoration works are delaying the movement of consignments to markets outside Jammu & Kashmir.

KCCI described horticulture as the backbone of the Union Territory’s economy, stating that the apple industry alone contributes nearly Rs 12,000 crore annually and supports lakhs of families. It said uninterrupted connectivity on NH-44 is essential as the highway remains the primary route for transporting Kashmir’s apple crop to wholesale markets across the country.

According to the Chamber, around 100 to 120 trucks carrying fresh fruit are currently leaving the Valley each day. It said this traffic volume could be managed efficiently by introducing dedicated time slots or priority passage for vehicles transporting perishable produce, helping preserve fruit quality and ensure timely market arrivals.

KCCI said even short transit delays can reduce the market value of early-season fruit varieties, disrupt supply chains, increase freight, fuel and labour costs, add handling expenses, delay payments to growers and traders, and affect buyers’ confidence in Kashmir’s produce.

While acknowledging the challenges faced by authorities in maintaining NH-44 due to frequent weather-related incidents and landslides, the Chamber urged the administration to minimise disruptions and facilitate the swift movement of fruit-laden vehicles during the harvesting season.

It called for coordinated action by the Traffic Police, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), district administrations and the Horticulture Department to ensure rapid clearance of road blockages, timely restoration of traffic after disruptions and regular dissemination of real-time traffic advisories to growers, traders and transporters.

KCCI also said the Mughal Road cannot serve as a practical alternative for transporting Kashmir’s fruit produce. It stated that the road’s infrastructure is not designed to handle the large volume of heavy commercial vehicles used by the horticulture sector, particularly 12-tyre and 16-tyre trucks that transport most apple consignments.

According to the Chamber, diverting heavy fruit-laden trucks via the Mughal Road would increase travel time and transportation costs while exposing perishable produce to greater risk of damage and quality deterioration. It maintained that NH-44 remains the only economically viable surface route for moving Kashmir’s horticultural produce to markets across India.

Appealing for urgent intervention, KCCI said every hour of delay in transporting perishable fruit results in quality deterioration, lower market prices and financial losses for growers, traders and transporters, and urged the administration to prioritise uninterrupted movement of fruit-laden trucks throughout the harvesting season.