As the Jammu-Srinagar Highway closure entered third day three on Tuesday and goods worth crores of rupees remained stranded on this vital road, Kashmir-based fruit growers and dealers shot across a letter to IGP Kashmir Munir Khan urging him to allow movement of traffic immediately so that rhw perishable goods didn’t rot on way.
Speaking to Kashmir Post, president, New Kashmir Fruit Association, Parimpora Fruit Mandi, Bashir Ahmad Basheer said more than 150 truckloads carrying fruits, vegetables and dates are stranded on the highway since Sunday evening.
Basheer said, in a memorandum sent to the IGP, the fruit dealers have apprised the latter of the problems faced by truckers and traders due to closure of the road and the imminent threat of goods worth crores gets damaged.
“Fruits especially Bananas, Melons, Grapes, Water Melons, Mangoes are the most vulnerable. Green vegetables, onions and potatoes also gets affected and after a few days of road closure what reaches here is just rotten vegetables which affects the overall market supply,” Basheer said. According to Basheer the dealers have informed the IGP that there is increased need of essentials in Ramadhan and supplies of goods to Kashmir increases manifold. “We also told him goods will get rotten as temperature in Udhampur and other parts on the highway is above 40 degree Celsius. Each truck has goods worth almost Rs 3 lakhs or more per load and going by the less shelf life of several products we expect losses worth crores of rupees,” Basheer said.
Basheer said the association members also met Horticulture Minister, Basharat Bukhari on Tuesday and informed him regarding massive losses suffered by fruit and vegetable dealers due to goods stranded on the highway.
“The Horticulture Minister made a call to police officials but even he was informed that the highway was shut due to security reasons. We are yet to overcome losses of last year unrest and now we are being forced to become subject to an untimely highway closure,” Basheer said.
General Secretary, All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Union, Mehraj-u-din Ganie said almost 50 truckloads of livestock are stuck on the highway. “Trucks which reached the highway on Sunday from various outside markers were not allowed to move ahead as authorities cited security reasons. Our truckers are worried since they are facing extremely hot weather conditions so is the livestock. The mortality rate of livestock in such high temperatures becomes more and we fear huge losses,” Ganie said.
Ganie said the livestock supply in Kashmir markets at present is sufficient and will last for few more days.
Meanwhile Chairman, Kashmir Economic Alliance, Muhammad Yaseen Khan said highway closure in the beginning of Ramadhan is an “extreme step” taken by the authorities which will prove to be “counter productive”.
“At a time when consumption levels increase and there is a great requirement of food and other essentials, the government has taken the extreme step of closing down the highway. Amid high temperatures if livestock is stuck on highway for a few days it increases the mortality rate. In addition perishables and other food items also get rotten which causes a shortage of goods in the market,” Khan said.
Jammu-Srinagar highway closure enters 3rd day, fruit traders submit memorandum to IGP
