Kashmir leaders, growers slam highway closure as apple losses mount
Faizan Ahmad
Srinagar, Sep 16 (KINS):
The prolonged closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH44) has sparked outrage across Jammu and Kashmir, with political leaders and apple growers accusing authorities of neglecting the region’s economic backbone.
They allege the closure during the peak apple harvesting season amounts to a “deliberate assault” on the Valley’s horticulture sector, which sustains nearly seven lakh families.
The 270-kilometre highway—Kashmir’s only all-weather road link to the rest of the country—remained closed for around two weeks following heavy rains and flash floods. Though partially reopened for passenger vehicles, thousands of trucks loaded with apple consignments are still stranded, leaving growers staring at massive losses.
National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi said the crisis is not accidental but part of a “systematic attack” on Kashmir’s horticulture. “Sometimes substandard pesticides are pushed into the Valley, sometimes cheap apples are imported, and now our trucks are deliberately blocked. This is an economic assault designed to cripple us,” he alleged, according to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday, said she raised the issue of stranded trucks and warned of catastrophic losses to growers if swift measures are not taken. “The LG assured me that movement of trucks would be expedited, but on the ground nothing has changed. Every passing day means another layer of apples rotting inside trucks,” she said.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hamid Karra said farmers were already reeling under losses due to unusual rains and flash floods, and the highway closure has only worsened their plight. “This is a humanitarian and economic crisis rolled into one,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) staged a protest in Srinagar, raising slogans of “Save Apple, Save Kashmir.” Several activists were detained by police.
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami urged New Delhi to intervene, calling for the revival of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and the inclusion of apple under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and crop insurance schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna.
“The government cannot remain indifferent. Protecting horticulture means protecting the livelihood of lakhs of families. We need cold storage facilities, freight subsidies, and immediate relief packages for flood-hit farmers,” Tarigami said.
For growers, the shutdown the closure turned into a nightmare.
Abdul Rashid, an orchardist from Shopian, said he has been waiting for his truck to cross Qazigund for the last 10 days “My apples are packed in cardboard boxes. If they don’t reach Delhi markets in time, they will rot completely. Who will compensate us for these losses?” he asked.
Another grower, Ghulam Nabi from Sopore, echoed the fear. “We invest our entire year in orchards. Now, because the highway is blocked, our crop is getting spoiled. Last year it was hailstorm, this year it is highway. How much more can we suffer?” he said.
Industry experts warn that with premature crop damage due to rains and large consignments stranded on the road, Kashmir’s horticulture sector could face irreparable damage. “If urgent steps are not taken, the Rs 10,000-crore industry may collapse under these repeated shocks,” said Mohammad Yousuf, a fruit trader. (KINS)
