Qazigund, Jul 31 (KNO): Hundreds of fruit-laden trucks remained stranded at several locations along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Friday following the suspension of traffic for restoration works, with drivers urging the authorities to reopen the road at the earliest to prevent losses to growers and transporters.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, remained closed on Friday to facilitate restoration and slope stabilisation works on vulnerable stretches, leaving hundreds of goods vehicles stranded at different locations on both sides of the highway.
The stranded drivers told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that most of the vehicles were carrying fresh apples and other perishable produce to markets outside Jammu and Kashmir.
"We are carrying fruit-laden trucks, and the shelf life of the produce is very limited. If the highway remains closed for long, the fruit will start deteriorating, which will lead to heavy financial losses for growers as well as transporters," Mohammad Ashraf, a truck driver, said.
He said the uncertainty over the reopening of the highway was adding to their concerns. "We have been waiting for hours without any clear information on when traffic will resume. Every passing hour reduces the quality of the fruit, and we fear the consignment may not fetch a good price in the market," he said.
Another driver said the timely transportation of apples is crucial during the harvesting season and appealed to the administration to prioritise the movement of fruit-laden trucks once the highway is declared safe.
"We understand that restoration work is important, but the highway should be reopened as soon as possible to save the fruit. Any further delay will cause huge losses because these are perishable goods," another driver said.
He added, "We don't understand why the highway maintenance work is always taken up during the peak apple season. Thousands of fruit-laden trucks use this road at this time of the year. If the work had to be carried out, it could have been planned before or after the season. Every day's delay means huge losses for growers and transporters because the fruit has a limited shelf life."
The drivers appealed to the administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to expedite restoration work and ensure early movement of stranded trucks.
Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti visited Qazigund on Friday and met drivers of the stranded fruit-laden trucks on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Interacting with the drivers, Iltija expressed concern over the continued closure of the highway during the peak apple season and alleged that it was causing heavy losses to Kashmir's fruit growers.
"Last year, the apples of Jammu and Kashmir's growers rotted on the highway for a month. I believe this is a conspiracy. Maintenance work is carried out every year precisely when the apple season is underway," she said.
Iltija said she had appealed to the administration and the police to restore traffic immediately to facilitate the movement of fruit-laden trucks. "If the highway is not reopened, we will come here tomorrow and stage a protest," she said.
President of the Fruit Growers Association Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad Bashir told KKO that fruit-loaded trucks have already started facing difficulties over the past few weeks, resulting in significant delays in reaching wholesale markets outside Jammu and Kashmir.
"Several trucks carrying perishable fruits are being held up for long hours, while some have to wait for days before they are able to cross into Jammu. Such delays are particularly damaging for fruits with a shorter shelf life, leading to deterioration in quality and financial losses for growers," Bashir said.
He said the authorities have been advising transporters to use the Mughal Road as an alternative route whenever traffic on the National Highway is disrupted. However, he maintained that the road is not a practical option for heavy fruit-laden trucks.
Bashir said the association has already submitted representations to the government, urging it to take immediate and effective measures to ensure the smooth movement of fruit-laden vehicles on the National Highway.
"We cannot afford a repeat of last year's situation when transportation disruptions caused huge losses to apple growers. We have requested the government to act on priority and put in place a proper mechanism to ensure uninterrupted movement of fruit trucks before the peak season begins. We are hopeful that the authorities will take prompt action in the larger interest of the horticulture sector," he added—(KNO)