SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to introduce emergency transport measures for horticultural produce, warning that repeated disruptions on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to landslides and adverse weather are threatening the Valley’s fruit economy.
In a statement, the party said prolonged interruptions on the highway have delayed the movement of apples and other perishable produce to markets across the country, raising concerns over deterioration in quality, reduced competitiveness and financial losses for growers.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti described the situation as an “economic emergency” rather than merely a traffic management issue and called for immediate administrative intervention to safeguard the livelihoods of orchardists.
“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. Immediate steps should be taken to ensure that horticultural produce reaches markets without further delay, and all safe alternatives, including the Mughal Road for suitable commercial vehicles, should be actively considered,” Mufti said.
The PDP said Kashmir’s horticulture sector supports the livelihoods of lakhs of people, including orchard owners, labourers, transporters, commission agents and packaging workers, and warned that continued disruption of the supply chain could have widespread economic consequences during the peak marketing season.
The party called on the administration to establish a dedicated mechanism involving traffic authorities, the civil administration and transport agencies to facilitate the timely movement of trucks carrying perishable fruit whenever road conditions permit.
It also said disaster management efforts should extend beyond restoring road connectivity and include measures to protect those whose livelihoods are directly affected by prolonged transport disruptions, urging the authorities to act swiftly to prevent avoidable losses to fruit growers.
