Highway Disruptions Jeopardising Kashmir’s Apple Economy, Says Trade Body
Srinagar, KNT: The Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) on Wednesday voiced concern over repeated disruptions on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, warning that prolonged road closures and traffic congestion are inflicting heavy losses on Kashmir’s horticulture sector during the crucial apple harvesting season.
The trade body said the recurring interruptions on NH-44 have delayed the transportation of perishable produce, leaving fruit-laden trucks stranded for long hours and, in some cases, days, resulting in financial setbacks for growers, traders and transporters.
KTA President Aijaz Ahmad Shahdhar said horticulture remains the economic backbone of the Valley, supporting lakhs of families, and stressed that uninterrupted road connectivity is essential to ensure growers receive fair returns for their produce.
He urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to evolve a mechanism under which trucks carrying fresh fruit are accorded priority passage whenever traffic is restored after weather-related closures or road repair works.
Shahdhar also called for better coordination between the civil administration, traffic authorities and the National Highways Authority of India to minimise delays during the harvesting season. He said the government must also work towards long-term measures to improve the highway’s resilience against landslides and extreme weather, which continue to disrupt the movement of essential goods.
Warning that recurring transport disruptions undermine confidence in Kashmir’s horticulture industry, the KTA appealed to the authorities to safeguard the interests of fruit growers by ensuring smoother evacuation of the Valley’s produce to markets across the country. [KNT]
