Over 2200 trucks evacuated via Mughal Road; CM seeks uninterrupted mvmt
Srinagar, Sept 16: In response to public outcry in Kashmir Valley over apple-laden trucks stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari held a high-level meeting attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday to address the crisis.
Joined by CM, J&K officials, and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) representatives, Gadkari pledged to restore the highway’s full functionality swiftly, prioritizing safety and convenience.
Despite heavy rains and a major landslide, NHAI teams have built a temporary two-lane diversion, resuming traffic with over a dozen excavators and 50 earthmovers working non-stop.
Abdullah stressed the urgency of clearing the backlog of heavy vehicles, particularly 4-axle and 5-axle trucks, unable to use alternative routes like Mughal Road, emphasizing that road maintenance must not disrupt critical traffic flow.
“We are determined to restore this vital national highway to full strength at the earliest, ensuring safety and convenience for all road users,” Gadkari stated in a post on X.
“A two-lane temporary diversion has been built, and traffic movement has resumed. Over a dozen excavators and more than 50 earthmovers are deployed round the clock for clearing and repairs,” he said.
An official spokesperson said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged the Union Minister to ensure uninterrupted passage for heavy vehicles. Omar emphasized that while road maintenance and blacktopping are important, they should not come at the cost of prolonged disruption to vital traffic movement.
“Blacktopping can wait for its turn. With a huge number of trucks stranded on the Kashmir side alone, clearing this backlog is crucial,” the Chief Minister said.
The CM further said that the fruit season is at its peak, and continued delays in transportation are causing significant losses to growers and traders.
He stressed that while small vehicles could be diverted, NH-44 must remain open for heavy traffic until all stranded vehicles are cleared. Gadkari assured the CM Omar that his concerns would be considered.
According to an official handout, Gadkari said the backlog of trucks and other heavy vehicles will be cleared on priority before resuming blacktopping activities.
The Chief Minister also directed the Chief Secretary to ensure lane discipline and regulate traffic on the highway to facilitate smooth clearance.
According to media reports, as an interim measure, the government has proposed a traffic management plan allowing heavy vehicle to move in one direction while permitting light vehicles from the opposite side.
General Manager and Regional Officer of NHAI, Jammu, stated that soiling work is being carried out on a 300-metre stretch at Tahard in Udhampur.
“We have to carry out soiling repeatedly because intermittent rains keep affecting the surface,” he said, adding that blacktopping will commence once the weather improves.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, Javid Dar, and Satish Sharma, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, along with senior officials of NHAI, NHIDCL, and other concerned agencies, both in person and virtually.
Meanwhile, more than 2,200 fruit-laden trucks were evacuated via the Mughal Road, the alternative road link between the valley and Jammu, during the past 24 hours.
The trucks were stranded along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to its closure following landslides in the wake of incessant rains.
The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, suffered extensive damage at several places, especially between Nashri and Udhampur, in the aftermath of record rainfall on August 26 and 27, leading to its closure for vehicular movement.
The traffic on the highway was partially restored last week, but hundreds of trucks, including those carrying apples to different markets within and outside Jammu and Kashmir, remained stranded for days, causing extensive damage to the produce.
In a major relief to fruit growers and traders of the valley, Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Anshul Garg, informed that over 2,200 fruit-laden trucks were successfully evacuated via the Mughal Road during the past 24 hours.
Taking cognisance of the situation, the Div Com undertook a comprehensive visit to Peer Ki Gali on the Mughal Road to ensure smooth movement of fruit trucks, a spokesman said.
Garg also visited Fruit Mandi Aglar, Shopian, where he held detailed interactions with various stakeholders, including fruit growers, traders, transporters, and representatives of the horticulture sector.
Expressing appreciation for the prompt action, President of the Fruit Growers and Traders Association, Mohammad Ashraf extended gratitude to the Chief Secretary J-K for his timely and prompt intervention and directions, which facilitated the smooth transportation process, the spokesman said.
He also said that restoration work on the National Highway (NH) is being carried out on a war footing to enhance connectivity.
