SRINAGAR, July 29: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday called for immediate and emergency transport measures to ensure the timely evacuation of Kashmir’s horticultural produce amid repeated disruptions on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway caused by landslides and adverse weather.
Expressing concern over the growing distress among fruit growers, Mehbooba said prolonged road blockages were threatening the quality and market competitiveness of perishable produce, particularly apples, during the peak marketing season.
“Every harvesting season represents a year of patience, investment and hope for our orchardists. Today, many growers are anxiously watching truckloads of their produce remain immobilised because the Valley’s road connectivity has been severely affected. The administration must recognise that this is not merely a traffic management issue but an economic emergency,” she said.
Mehbooba called for immediate steps to facilitate the movement of fruit-laden trucks and said all safe alternative routes, including the Mughal Road for suitable commercial vehicles, should be actively considered whenever road conditions permit.
Meanwhile, in a statement the PDP said Kashmir’s fruit industry supports the livelihoods of lakhs of people, including orchard owners, labourers, transporters, commission agents and packaging workers. It warned that prolonged disruption of the supply chain could cause significant financial losses and affect the wider rural economy.
The party urged the administration to establish a dedicated operational framework for the evacuation of horticultural produce, involving traffic management agencies, the civil administration and transport authorities.
It said commercial consignments carrying perishable fruit should be given planned and uninterrupted passage whenever conditions allow.
The PDP also stressed that disaster management should go beyond restoring road connectivity and include measures to protect livelihoods threatened by the disruption. It urged authorities to act swiftly to prevent avoidable losses to Kashmir’s fruit growers. (Agencies)
