Political tempers rise in Kashmir over highway closure; netas allege conspiracy to choke Valley’s economy as fruit-landed trucks stranded

SRINAGAR: As Jammu-Srinagar national highway, a lifeline for Kashmir, has remained closed to heavy traffic for the past 20 days, leaving thousands of fruit-laden trucks stranded, both the Centre and the Omar Abdullah govt have come under fire from political parties in J&K.

Although the highway was partially reopened on Tuesday, with authorities permitting one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar, videos of distressed truckers stranded on the roads have sparked fury in Kashmir Valley. Some politicians alleged the prolonged NH closure in the peak fruit harvest season was part of a conspiracy to hit Kashmir’s economy.

PDP’s Iltija Mufti met LG Manoj Sinha on Tuesday and sought his intervention to expedite the highway repair work. She also appealed for an interim package for fruit growers.

While PDP and some other parties blamed Omar govt for the crisis that fruit growers in the Valley are facing due to the NH closure, the CM had on Monday expressed displeasure with NHAI’s failure to restore the road in 20 days.

A cornered Omar has held several meetings since Monday, seeking a solution to the crisis. At his initiative, Union minister for road, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari convened a meeting on Tuesday to review the restoration of the highway. “The meeting deliberated on immediate steps required to fully restore NH-44 for the urgent movement of fruit-laden trucks and uninterrupted supply of essentials,” said the CM, who joined through virtual mode.

The highway had suffered major damage in several stretches, particularly in Udhampur, after heavy rains on Aug 26-27, which triggered flash floods and landslides. The restoration work is still ongoing.

On Tuesday, authorities permitted traffic movement from Jammu to Srinagar, while trucks carrying essential commodities were allowed from Udhampur to Kashmir Valley, bringing some relief to people facing shortage of essentials. However, no vehicle movement from Srinagar towards Jammu was allowed.

This prompted Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi of governing NC to allege it was a deliberate attack on Kashmir’s economy. Horticulture and agriculture contributed 75% to Kashmir’s GDP, and allowing fruits worth crores to rot in stranded trucks was intended at making the Valley’s economy dysfunctional, he alleged.

Awami Ittehad Party, too, alleged that Kashmir’s economy was being deliberately choked, and staged a protest.Peoples Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone urged Omar to travel to Delhi and ensure expeditious clearance of the highway.

CPM legislator M Y Tarigami and Congress J&K president Tariq Hamid Karra blamed the Centre for the crisis. Karra described the widening of Jammu-Srinagar highway as a “failed project”, alleging that the Union govt’s approach of blasting the mountains to widen the roads lacked scientific basis and was responsible for the widespread destruction in the Himalayan states, with nature taking its revenge.

Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Arun Gupta, too, wrote to Gadkari, urging that concrete steps be taken to make the highway fully operational at the earliest.