Srinagar: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the status of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which has remained closed for heavy vehicles following massive damage caused by heavy rains and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir last month.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who participated in the meeting through virtual mode, highlighted the difficulties faced by fruit growers and traders due to the prolonged closure of the highway.
Abdullah urged the Union Minister for uninterrupted passage for heavy vehicles, asserting that while blacktopping and maintenance of the road are necessary, it must not come at the cost of prolonged disruption of vital traffic movement.
“Blacktopping can wait for its turn. But large vehicles, especially 4-axle and 5-axle trucks, cannot be diverted through the Mughal Road. This is the only route available for them, and a huge number of trucks are stranded on the Kashmir side alone. Clearing this backlog is crucial,” he said.
The chief minister said the fruit harvesting season is at its peak in the valley, and further delays in transportation are causing heavy losses to growers and traders.
Abdullah emphasised that while small vehicles could be diverted, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) must remain open for heavy traffic until all stranded vehicles are cleared.
He stressed that blacktopping works should only be undertaken after backlog traffic on both sides is fully cleared.
An official spokesman said Gadkari assured the Chief Minister that his concerns would be addressed.
The Union Minister said the backlog of trucks and other heavy vehicles would be cleared on priority before blacktopping resumes.
The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to ensure lane discipline and to regulate traffic on the highway to facilitate smooth clearance.
Minister for Agriculture Javid Dar on Monday inspected the National Highway for a first-hand assessment of the ground situation and subsequently briefed the Chief Minister about the prevailing condition of the road.
Meanwhile, leaders of various parties, including the ruling NC, on Wednesday flayed the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway during the peak fruit season, saying it was a “deliberate ploy” to harm Jammu and Kashmir’s economy and demanded immediate movement of fruit-laden trucks towards the markets across the country.
Fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir have been stranded for days due to the closure of the crucial highway following heavy rains and flash floods, with growers expressing apprehensions of losses.
The 270 km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH44) was closed for nine consecutive days following heavy rainfall last month. It was reopened last week, but only for light motor vehicles.
Speaking with reporters in Shopian, ruling National Conference Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi said, “There is a pattern, sometimes substandard pesticide is sold, sometimes cheaper apples are imported, and sometimes highway is closed. Our horticulture contributes more than 75 percent to our GDP. It contributes seven times more than tourism. But, there is a pattern of a war against our horticulture.”
The Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar said even when the highway has been opened for traffic, “the stranded trucks from Srinagar have not been allowed to move to Jammu”.
“If trucks from Jammu are allowed to move towards Srinagar, why are our fruit-laden trucks not allowed to move? Before this, a year or so ago, our fruit-laden trucks were stopped on the highway deliberately, and the fruit was left to rot. There is a clear pattern of an attack on our economy. The closure of the highway is a part of that,” he charged, adding, “it is being done deliberately”.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and apprised him of the “crisis” being faced by the Union Territory’s apple industry owing to the closure of the national highway over the past few weeks.
She said Sinha has assured her that smooth movement of trucks on the highway would be expedited to avoid further losses.
Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) said the “blockade” of the highway was “nothing short of an economic assault” on Kashmir, and demanded immediate movement of fruit-laden trucks towards the markets across the country.
The AIP staged a protest at the Press Colony here, demanding immediate clearance of fruit-laden trucks stranded on the highway.
Scores of AIP activists, led by party’s MLA from Langate, Sheikh Khursheed, raised slogans of “Save Apple, Save Kashmir” and accused the administration of “deliberately choking” the Valley’s horticulture economy.
Speaking to reporters, Khursheed said the blockade was “nothing short of an economic assault” on Kashmir.
“Lakhs of families depend on horticulture for survival. By keeping apple consignments stranded for days, the administration is silently crushing Kashmir’s economy. Empty promises won’t save our growers, only immediate action will,” he said.
The protestors were later dispersed by police, which also detained several leaders and activists of the party, including the MLA Langate.
Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami said the “prolonged closure” of the highway has hit the fruit growers in the valley hard, and urged the Centre to take urgent steps to facilitate the apple trucks to reach the markets across the country.
“The prolonged closure of the highway has hit hard farmers and fruit growers. Despite tall claims and repeated assurances by the national highway authorities, the situation on the highway remains uncertain during this season when it is crucial for apple produce to reach the markets in the rest of the country,” Tarigami said addressing a press conference here.
He said the Centre should take urgent steps to facilitate the apple trucks to reach the market.
The MLA Kulgam said the recent floods have caused heavy losses to human lives, properties, and standing crops in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Due to intermittent rains, leaves and apples have been falling prematurely from trees, bringing huge losses to growers. Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) should have guided and offered timely advice to farmers about preventive measures,” he said.
Tarigami said the recommendations of the Dr Swaminathan Commission on distressed agriculture remain mostly un-implemented. J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have been hit hard, yet apple has not been brought under the recommendations for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“Despite big claims by authorities regarding Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), the main crop of the farmers i.e. apple production has not been covered under this scheme. These are crops with almost no significant losses, while apple, the most vulnerable crop, is excluded.
“Insurance companies and the Agriculture Insurance Company, have reportedly earned hundreds of crores of premium since 2016 but remain reluctant to insure apple crop,” he said.
The CPI(M) leader said there is an urgent need to reintroduce the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) so that C-grade apples can be procured and used for juice and jam manufacturing.
If the Centre does not support this, the UT administration must bring the scheme under the CAPEX Budget to compensate growers, he added.
The MLA Kulgam said there is an acute shortage of cold storage facilities in the valley despite big announcements regarding availability of government land which could have been used for the purpose.
“The government cannot remain indifferent. Protecting horticulture means protecting the livelihood of farmers which remains the backbone of Kashmir’s economy,” he said.
He said the Centre should announce sufficient relief to help the flood victims and apple growers and traders who have suffered huge losses because of inclement weather, floods and the blockade of the highway.
