The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealer Union (KVFGDU) on Thursday said that the closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway for civilian traffic twice-a-week will cause huge damage on perishable goods transported via the only surface road link connecting Kashmir to the rest of the world.
all fruit loaded trucks being supplied from Kashmir that”will be not be able to ply” on the Srinagar-Jammu highway due to thetwice-a-week closure of this vital road link ordered by the government will becausing damage to the perishables.
J&K government had yesterday announced that no civiliantraffic will be allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Sundays and Wednesdaysfrom 4 am-5 pm to facilitate movement of forces.
Basheer Ahmed Bashir, president, KVFGDU said if apple ladentrucks from the cold storages are not allowed to ply forward the entire fruitlot will get damaged causing heavy losses to the growers of the valley.
“It is pertinent to mention here that cherry and plum andallied fruit loaded trucks were allowed to ply on Srinagar Jammu NationalHighway on priority since last several years. Since fruit growers of the valleyhave already suffered losses due to constant rains and hailstorm, the stoppageof fruit loaded trucks at Srinagar Jammu highways will cause further losses,”Bashir said.
“Government is treating certain traffic on priority but thetransportation of fresh fruits should also be given priority because the sameis produced after hectic efforts round the year by the growers which giveslivelihood to them. In case if the cherry, plum loaded trucks are not allowedto go ahead on Srinagar-Jammu highway without any interruptions the entireproduce will get damaged resulting in huge losses to the fruit growers,”Basheer said.
The fruit growers and dealers union has recently writtenletters to higher ups urging for immediate steps to be taken for transportationof cherry, plum trucks on Srinagar Jammu Highway without any interruption evenagainst convoy so that the Valley based fruit growers may not face furtherlosses. “Similarly the fungicides, insecticides and fertilize coming fromoutside the state to valley will also get delay and the Fruit Growers may notbe in a position to spray the pesticides in their orchards well in time as perschedule of SKAUST.”
Basheer said plum loaded trucks were also stopped last yearin June at Qazigund “but due to timely intervention of authorities all truckswere allowed to ply forward towards Jammu”. KVFGD Union has urged authorities to take transportation of apple onSrinagar Jammu highway on priority without any interruption even against convoyso that the Valley based fruit growers may not face further losses.