SRINAGAR: Fruit growers on Monday shut down mandis in Kashmir for 2 days in protest in opposition to the disruption of visitors together with the Srinagar-Jammu freeway, saying they’ve repeatedly petitioned the administration to repair the visitors jams alongside the freeway that led to large losses.
Fayaz Ahmad Malik alias Kakajee, president of the fruit mandi in north Kashmir’s Sopore, Asia’s largest fruit mandi, mentioned they felt let down by the forms which guidelines the union territory. “We’ve been transferring from pillar to publish to make sure the sleek passage of visitors on the freeway. Sadly, no one within the administration is able to assist us. We really feel very a lot ignored in absence of political authorities within the UT,” Malik mentioned.
Fruit growers have been complaining that a whole lot of vans carrying apples have been getting stranded alongside the nationwide freeway, notably close to the 20km stretch from Qazikund to Banihal.
Malik mentioned a mean of 250-300 vans had been leaving from Sopore mandi, solely to get caught simply 100km away at Qazikund. Apple growers have been ending up with enormous losses due to mismanagement by the authorities accountable for guaranteeing clean motion of visitors on the freeway. “By the point, our produce reaches mandis, the fruit begins rotting,” Malik mentioned.
He mentioned orchard homeowners have been suggested to delay plucking of fruit until the visitors mess is resolved.
“That is for the primary time once we are seeing this mess on the nationwide freeway,” he mentioned.
Kashmir’s horticulture division director Ghulam Rasool Mir mentioned fruit growers have instructed them that round 7,000 vans are nonetheless held up on the nationwide freeway.
“We’ve been holding a number of conferences over the previous week with visitors and different prime authorities officers however growers say that on the bottom, issues are usually not bettering regardless of repeated directions from the highest officers.
“Efforts are being made to get this difficulty resolved,” he added.
Inspector Common of Police (Visitors) Vikramjeet Singh mentioned the motion of vans was restricted in between because of incidents of capturing stones alongside the route. Solely 825 vans (together with 671 apple vans) have been allowed to enter the freeway on Sept 24 because of capturing stones at Mehar resulting in suspension of visitors. “On Sept 25, 4,554 vans (together with 3995 apple vans) have been launched, out of which 1,500 vans have been stranded at Mehar on account of capturing stones and have reached Jammu at present. On Sept 26 (Monday), vans have once more been launched from Srinagar to Jammu and a backlog of about 2,500 vans at Quazigund might be cleared at present. Total, since Sept 1, 45,923 vans (together with 17,631 apple vans) have moved from Srinagar to Jammu by way of tunnel as per the small print offered by the Nationwide Freeway Authority of India NHAI).”
Singh mentioned they’ve apprised the horticulture division in regards to the points. “We had requested the growers to make use of Mughal highway however they like to attend at Qazigund for 2 days than utilizing the Mughal highway.”
The police officer mentioned there had been issues because of incidents of capturing stones. “We requested the growers to deploy volunteers on the nationwide freeway for the managment of visitors. They got here and vanished after two days.” Singh mentioned.
“We will’t danger the lives of individuals. Hopefully, issues will enhance within the coming days as the problem has been taken with NHAI to get the work executed on the stretch quick.”
A message to J&Ok chief secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta didn’t elicit any response.
Irfan Hafiz Lone, DDC member from apple wealthy belt Sangrama in north Kashmir visited the spot on the nationwide freeway and sat on dharna close to the halted vans. “This has by no means occurred with our fruit. Even 300 vans sure for Bangladesh have been halted. I can’t see fruit rotting in entrance of my eyes. It’s painful.. hardwork of 1 12 months of a grower,” mentioned Lone.
From previous many days, all of the mainstream leaders have taken up this difficulty however didn’t resolve this difficulty.
“It takes days for a fruit-laden truck to succeed in Punjab or Delhi. The apples are rotting. Unnecessarily, these fruit-laden vans are being stopped. Is anybody listening,” tweeted NC chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq whereas posting {a photograph} of an extended queue of fruit-laden vans struck on the nationwide freeway.
Round 7 lakh farming households, roughly 35 lakh folks, are instantly or not directly related to the horticulture sector. Apples contribute to round 8% of Jammu and Kashmir’s gross home product.