As border towns are shelled by Pakistan, Kashmir has an airport closed, and the Jammu-Srinagar highway is interrupted by forces of nature. This has forced residents to get into binge shopping to hoard basics, reports Babra Wani
On the morning of May 7, as the first light crept over the horizon, Saba stirred from a restless hour of sleep. The night had offered little respite for her or her family. “We kept hearing sounds,” she said, pausing, “the sounds of jets moving overhead.”
She opened her phone, which had been flooded with texts and notifications. “Operation Sindoor was all people were talking about,” Saba said. “The situation felt tense. I told myself that and stood up to offer my prayers.”
After completing Fajr, she checked her GPay balance. There were only Rs 1,500 in her account. As the eldest daughter in a family of three and its sole breadwinner, panic and a sense of responsibility gripped her. She felt paralysed.
“At that moment, memories of all those years of lockdowns and shutdowns came rushing back,” she said, a tear glistening in her left eye. “I thought, what if we are pushed into another shutdown? What will happen? We have nothing stocked up. I was worried about my family.”
Saba borrowed money from friends and stocked up on essentials: oil, rice, pulses, and other items. Working in a private firm in Srinagar, her primary concern was sustaining her family. “What is also haunting me right now is the thought of things escalating,” she said. “What if everything collapses? How will I manage expenses and look after my family then?”
Like Saba, many Kashmiris found themselves gripped by fear and uncertainty.
“Such situations always give me anxiety. I feel claustrophobic,” said Sami, a resident of Anantnag. “We have seen so many shutdowns and lockdowns that even the thought of it now makes me uneasy. It feels like déjà vu.”
“And normal life and education become the biggest casualties, to be honest,” he added. “Everyone is so anxious right now that it feels like every news update will only heighten the fear rather than alleviate it.”
“All of us have our eyes fixed on the news, praying that things do not escalate further.”
Educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir were closed on Friday and Saturday. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated that a decision regarding the reopening of schools, colleges, and universities would be made on May 12. He tweeted, “Monday is a holiday. We will review the situation on Monday afternoon. The decision will depend on the situation at that time and, if extended, for how long.”
Minister of Education Sakina Itoo said, “Because of student safety, all private and government schools, colleges, and universities will remain closed on Friday and Saturday.” The Registrar of Kashmir University added, “We have decided to suspend classes on Friday. If there are further updates, we will notify the students accordingly.”
Flights, Exams Cancelled
All examinations across Jammu and Kashmir have been postponed. Flights, including those scheduled to carry Hajj pilgrims, have also been cancelled. IndiGo and Akasa Air issued advisories confirming the suspension of services to and from Srinagar. IndiGo announced the cancellation of flights to and from destinations such as Jammu, Amritsar, and Leh until May 10. Akasa Air suspended all flights to and from Srinagar indefinitely, offering passengers full refunds or free rescheduling.
A resident of Kulgam, Abdul Rehman, whose Hajj flight was cancelled, said he felt devastated. “We were so excited — my wife and I — to embark on the holy journey. Now, it feels like everything is burning,” he said, visibly shaken. One of the cancelled flights was scheduled to carry 320 pilgrims from Srinagar to Madinah.
Stockpile Essentials
Amid rising tensions, residents have rushed to ration stores, petrol pumps, and medical outlets to stockpile essentials. A resident of Baghimehtab, Srinagar, said he bought enough rice, potatoes, and onions to last three months. “I also stocked up on my daughter’s insulin. You never know what will happen next,” he said, his voice tense.
A resident said the prices of essentials had surged since the escalation of the situation. “The cost of petrol has increased. I filled the tanks of both our vehicles as a precaution, and we ended up spending thousands,” he said.
He described the scenes at petrol stations, with large crowds scrambling to stock up on fuel. “The prices of many items have gone up. We had a wedding planned for next week in our extended family, but we are now considering postponing it,” he added. A worker at the petrol pump in Chanapora said the number of customers had surged since the morning of May 7. “We have had exhausting days,” he said. Another resident reported soaring petrol prices. “I filled up the tanks of our vehicles, spending thousands. People are panicking,” he said, adding that a planned family wedding was now likely to be postponed.
Helplines
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has activated 24/7 district-level control rooms in all districts, officials said. Comprehensive lists of emergency contact numbers have been released by the offices of the Divisional Commissioners in both the Jammu and Kashmir divisions to facilitate rapid communication and response.
Each district administration has been directed to maintain round-the-clock availability through these dedicated control rooms. In the Jammu division, the control rooms cover districts including Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, and Kishtwar. In Kashmir, helplines have been activated in Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Bandipora, and Baramulla.
Hospitals such as SKIMS have also established control rooms to assist patients. Private organisations and NGOs have launched blood donation drives to prepare for potential emergencies. Mooj Welfare Trust issued a social media appeal, urging people with access to generators or oxygen cylinders to assist patients dependent on oxygen support.
Who Is Hussain Kashmir announced a blood donation drive scheduled for Sunday, May 11. “If phone networks go down or movement is restricted, we will not be able to find blood donors in real-time. We are treating this as a pre-war situation, aiming to ensure blood banks are stocked before things worsen,” a volunteer said.
Pet shop owners in Srinagar reported a surge in customers. “People are buying pet essentials in bulk. Since the highway was closed, we were already short on supplies, but the current situation has made it worse,” said one shopkeeper.
A customer said she had stocked up on cat food for two months. “The situation is tense, and pets are our responsibility. We should also feed stray animals during such times,” she said.
An Ailing Highway
In anticipation of the crisis that was triggered by the Pahalgam massacre, Kashmir is grappling with the tensions on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the arterial highway that links Kashmir to the rest of the world. It suffered extensive damage at Ramban, where cloud bursts triggered massive landslides and mud slides impacting the town itself.
At the time of the massacre, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was in Ramban meeting the people who were impacted by the crisis. The massacre pushed the Ramban roadblock to the background.
The highway, a lifeline connecting the Kashmir Valley, was plunged into crisis on April 21, 2025, after a massive landslide struck it, severely damaging a stretch of the highway and halting all vehicular movement for days. The incident occurred near Panthyal, a known landslide-prone zone, following incessant rainfall and a brief hailstorm that loosened the soil on the steep mountain slopes.
Hundreds of trucks, passenger vehicles, and essential service carriers were stranded on both sides of the blockade, resulting in widespread disruption in the supply chain. Perishable goods began rotting on the highway while fuel and fresh produce shortages were reported across the Kashmir Valley. The crisis also affected the movement of patients and students, and disrupted routine life, especially ahead of the tourist season and amid growing regional tensions.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched immediate clearance operations, but continued rain and recurring sliding delayed restoration. Authorities deployed heavy machinery and specialist teams to remove debris and stabilise the slope, while district administrations arranged for basic facilities and medical aid for stranded commuters.
As pressure mounted, the government issued advisories for restricted movement and initiated aerial supply drops of emergency rations and medicines in vulnerable areas. The closure also sparked renewed debate over the long-delayed execution of alternative all-weather routes, such as the Mughal Road, into an all-around road.
Though the road is now almost ready for vehicular movement, the massive gulf of almost a fortnight has impacted the supply line. Kashmir, a huge consumption population, relies on supplies from Jammu and Punjab. This disruption happened at a time when consumption had gone up owing to stocking of basics in Srinagar and the Kashmir periphery. This has added another angle to the crisis that was triggered by the Pahalgam massacre.
As fear and uncertainty engulf Kashmir, residents like Saba and Samir, along with thousands across the region, remain glued to their screens, waiting for a glimmer of hope amidst the unfolding crisis.
Some names have been changed to protect the privacy.
