Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 11: The Fruit Association of Shopian today expressed strong concern over the government’s decision to restrict traffic on the Mughal Road, warning that it could cause huge losses to fruit growers during the peak apple harvesting season.
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Addressing a press conference, the association said the Mughal Road is the lifeline for South Kashmir’s fruit growers, providing the shortest route to transport apples and other produce to markets outside the valley. “The continued restrictions will hit fruit growers hard. Any delay in transportation could result in spoilage and severe economic setbacks for thousands of families dependent on horticulture,” they said.
The association criticized the latest advisories that allow vehicles on the road only from 6 am to 10 am. “The advisory came at 11 o’clock at night. How will fruit growers load the vehicles and send them in just four hours? We do not understand this,” they said. Another advisory issued at 4 am also left only two hours for vehicles to move.
They said that on such schedules, “all the vehicles that have left are mostly tankers, empty chicken vehicles, Tata mobiles, and six or seven vehicles at most. Even now, the entire Mughal Road is full. Why are the vehicles not allowed throughout?”
Highlighting the economic impact, they said, “All our fruit is ready. It is about to go bad. The fruit has been lying there for three to four days. If this continues, this industry will be finished. The land will be lost.”
The association repeatedly appealed to the administration, including the Lieutenant Governor and officials, to intervene. “Please, listen to the fruit growers. We are in trouble right now. If you tell them to drive six-wheelers on Mughal Road, we will allow that. But advisories for only four hours create jams and chaos. We request the Lt Governor and Omar Abdullah to take a decision immediately,” they said.
They further stressed that vehicles from Shopian, Sopore Mandi, Srinagar, and Anantnag all converge at the Mughal Road, making the short window insufficient. “How many fruit vehicles can pass in four hours? Apple-laden vehicles must have passed 150 vehicles. Yet those loaded three days ago are still standing,” they said.
The association urged authorities to allow traffic throughout the day or at least on alternate days.
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