Launch of parcel train brings no relief as highway blockade cripples Kashmir’s apple economy

The Valley’s horticulture sector is once again staring at staggering losses, with nearly 5,000 fruit-laden trucks stranded and growers estimating losses of over ₹1,200 crore in just two weeks at the peak of the apple season

Srinagar: The launch of a dedicated parcel train from Budgam to Delhi was hailed as a milestone for Kashmir’s fruit industry, but the symbolic gesture has done little to ease the crisis caused by the repeated closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH-44).

The Valley’s horticulture sector, considered the backbone of its economy, is once again staring at staggering losses, with nearly 5,000 fruit-laden trucks stranded and growers estimating losses of over ₹1,200 crore in just two weeks at the peak of the apple season.

As a mark of protest, fruit mandis across Kashmir observed a two-day shutdown. In Sopore, Asia’s second-largest fruit market, orchardists broke down, saying their year’s toil was rotting inside trucks stuck on the highway.

“We are ruined. Every hour of delay is pushing us deeper into debt,” they said, accusing the government of standing by as their produce perished. Fayaz Ahmad Malik, president of Sopore Fruit Mandi, launched a scathing attack on the administration, demanding Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resignation if fruit trucks could not be given safe passage.

Growers alleged discrimination, claiming that while iron and other goods were being cleared, apple consignments were being deliberately held back. They threatened to intensify agitation and call a Valley-wide strike if the blockade was not lifted within 48 hours.

Facing mounting anger, Abdullah said he had spoken to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari about the highway mess. In a post on X, he admitted growers’ frustration was “totally understandable” and blamed the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) for failing to stabilise the road.

He asked the Centre to either fix the highway or hand over its maintenance to the J&K government, insisting his engineers could restore connectivity. The Chief Minister also appealed for regular train services to ferry fruits across India, pointing out that one parcel train alone was not sufficient.

Meanwhile, a delegation of fruit growers led by Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union president Bashir Ahmad Basheer met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday. The delegation welcomed the rail initiative but said uninterrupted road passage remained critical for survival.

They warned that hundreds of trucks carrying early-season varieties such as Babogosha pears and Ghalamast apples had been stranded for weeks, leading to “complete damage” of stock, while smaller six-tyre trucks allowed via Mughal Road were charging freight at 300% above normal rates.

At the heart of the crisis is a 300-metre diversion in Udhampur district, created after a landslide buried the main road. Narrow and uneven, the stretch allows only one vehicle at a time, slashing highway traffic to a tenth of its normal capacity. Officials admitted that while 10,000 vehicles, including 1,000 fruit trucks, typically ply daily during peak season, currently only about 1,000 can pass, with 2,500 diverted via Mughal Road, creating a backlog of nearly 6,000 vehicles every day.

Although the Lieutenant Governor assured growers that stranded trucks would be cleared on priority and compensation examined, skepticism remains high. “For 15 days, we have been hearing that the road will be restored ‘tomorrow’. Meanwhile, our produce is rotting,” a Sopore trader said.

With the harvest season at its peak, growers fear that unless durable solutions are found, the Valley’s most vital industry will remain hostage to a 300-metre stretch of unstable road.