No LMVs on NH-44, no trains during yatra convoys
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 1: In an unprecedented move to facilitate the smooth movement of Shri Amarnathji Yatra convoys, Government has restricted the civilian traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) to 3 hours till the Yatra is over.
Traffic police has issued an order in which it has said that there would be no movement of any kind of vehicle on the NH-44 between Qazigund to Nashri except those transporting pilgrims till the Yatra is over. The order has restricted the movement of civilian vehicles and trucks during the day, which will be allowed in the evenings only.
The Yatra convoy would move between 10 a.m to 3 p.m on either side daily during which no vehicle will be allowed to ply on 97-km stretch from Qazigund to Nashri. A Traffic official said that they have instructions that tourists should also be allowed in the morning but no local should be let on the NH-44.
The two way Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) traffic, mostly passenger vehicles, will be allowed for hardly 3 and a half hours on the NH-44 from 3:30 p.m to 7 p.m. A traffic official said that they will allow movement of the traffic from Qazigund and Nashri from 3 p.m to 5 p.m only.
The highway will be open for one-way traffic for Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) during evening. The cut off timings have been fixed between 5 p.m to 10 p.m at Qazigund and Nashri.
According to the order, the train to and from Banihal will not ply between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the day when the Yatra convoy passes between Qazigund and Nashri.
This is the first instance of an administration restricting civilian traffic along the highway to facilitate smooth movement of Yatra convoys. The move will lead to major disruptions on NH-44 which is called as life line for Kashmir valley.
After the Pulwama attack, the civilian traffic along the NH-44 was banned for two days a week to ensure the safety of military and CRPF convoys. However, the move received severe criticism forcing the Government to withdraw it gradually.
However, during the convoy timings, troops close the NH-44 every day several times without any formal Government order.
The order that was operational from today has already led to problems on the NH-44 with large numbers of civilian vehicles and trucks waiting on the highway between Anantnag and Qazigund and Udhampur and Nashri. This has led to traffic jams in the area and lot of inconvenience to the general masses.
The move comes at a time when the supplies are stored in Kashmir for hilly areas and Army is posted along the Line of Control which remain cut off during the winter. The supplies for civilians and Army is also stored during the summers in Ladakh and the order will have major impact on that.
The restrictions on the movement of civilian traffic and trucks has led to criticism in Kashmir from the people in general and business community in particular.
The Jammu and Kashmir Socio Economic Coordination Committee (JKSECC), an amalgam of various trade, travel, transport, tourism, industrial, horticulture, contractors, educational, pharmaceutical, houseboat and other formations has lambasted the move.
It has termed it as an assault on the economy and livelihood of the people of Kashmir. The JKSECC said that the frequent restrictions on the highway during past one year on one or the other pretext has caused havoc and unimaginable losses to the business community apart from severe inconvenience to the general public including patients and tourists.
“Nowhere in the world the people are subjected to such bizarre and deplorable treatment by the Governments that claim to have been established for the service of same very people”, the JKSECC said.
It demanded immediate revocation of what it called as “anti-people” diktat. “Allowing vehicular traffic for just few hours besides frequent road blockades due to widening and abnormal weather leads to virtual strangulation of economic activities in the Valley. It has brought the business community to the brink of collective bankruptcy”, said the JKSECC.
“Government needs to come clean whether its moves were intentional to crush Kashmir economy as in that case the members of our business community will also use their options to be or be not in the business in such a forced unfavourable and hostile environment”, said JKSECC.
It wondered that the restrictions on highway on the pretext of paving way for “safe” travelling of Amarnath yatris is unprecedented as these yatris have been visiting the holy shrine for decades without any such diktat.
“It is the general public and not the Governments who have been providing open arm welcome, comforts and hospitality to the yatris as their revered guests. The Government by attempting to make an otherwise a regular pilgrimage look like an aggression was actually making the lives of the common people uncomfortable. The Kashmiri society left, right and centre strongly believes in facilitating the yatris with their cooperation and services. The Government needs to remember that Kashmiris have laid down their lives in protecting yatris from vagaries of weather during several pilgrimages”, said JKSECC.
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