A traders’ body on Saturday expressed serious concern over frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway and questioned the delay in making Mughal road an all-season route. Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairman Muhammad Yasin Khan said the pathetic condition of Srinagar-Jammu highway – only road link of the valley to the outside world – has become a means of taking Kashmir and its people hostage.
In astatement, he said over seven million souls living in Kashmir have been left atthe mercy of landslides disrupting the highway connectivity only becausealternative links to Kashmir including need to make Mughal Road an all-seasonconnectivity have not been explored evenafter 70 years.
Khan,who also heads Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, said while therest of the world is getting benefitted through advancement of technology, theSrinagar-Jammu highway has taken a reverse gear.
“Inthe last three months, the highway remained closed for over three dozen timeswhich is something alarming and this badly affected normal life and economicactivities in the region,” Khan said.
Hesaid not only bad weather but the reportedly faulty execution of the highwaywidening between Banihal and Ramban was a main reason for the frequent highwayblockade.
“Inthe last three months, not a single vehicle may have traversed the highwayundamaged, while the escape of passengers from landslides and shooting stonesis not less than a miracle,” he said.
Hesaid the while the common people were suffering unheard, the transportation ofthe goods has equally affected lives of common people.
“Applesthat were being transported outside the valley have been rotting due tofrequent blockade while same holds true for import of perishable commoditieslike fruits and vegetables, and even livestock that die in bulk before enteringKashmir and as a result business community is suffering huge losses runninginto crores,” Khan said.