PDP's Iltija Mufti calls on LG, flags apple industry's crisis due to NH44 closure

Srinagar, Sep 16: PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Tuesday sought Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's intervention on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway issue, and also demanded an interim package to compensate the apple growers for the losses suffered due to the closure of the road.

Mufti called on Lt Governor at the Raj Bhavan here and apprised him of the "crisis" being faced by the Union Territory's apple industry owing to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway over the past few weeks.

Fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir have been stranded for days due to the closure of the critical highway following heavy rains and flash floods, with growers expressing apprehensions of losses.

A day earlier, apple growers and traders in Kashmir staged a protest against the highway closure and "government inaction" in the matter.

"Called on Hon'ble L-G Manoj Sinha ji to apprise him of the severe crisis crippling Jammu and Kashmir's apple industry owing to the shutdown of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway," Mufti said in a post on X.

She said Sinha has assured her that smooth movement of trucks on the highway would be expedited to avoid further losses.

In a memorandum to the LG, Mufti said she wanted to bring to Sinha's kind attention the "deep crisis" that has plunged apple growers across J&K into "deep despair".

She said about a fortnight ago, J-K witnessed floods followed by landslides and road closures, and a result of which, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has been shut for the past two weeks.

"This has invariably caused problems because of which trucks carrying tonnes of apples have had to face interminable delays. Heartbreaking visuals of our apple growers dumping the rotten produce have made for grim headlines," she said.

The PDP leader said even after two weeks, the movement of trucks plying fruit has come to a standstill on the national highway.

"Carriers bearing steel and even livestock have somehow managed to pass with the unfortunate exception of apple trucks. The Mughal Tunnel as you are aware is too narrow and despite being open, hasn't been of much help," the memorandum said.

She appealed to the LG for intervention by expediting repair work on the highway and also coming up with an interim package to compensate the apple growers for the losses suffered so far.

"Horticulture kept our economy and people alive at a time when militancy raged through Kashmir providing dignity & a steady source of livelihood for its people. I hope we can provide them with some sort of relief at the earliest to end this unfortunate despondency that has engulfed our apple growers," she added.