Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is set to chair a crucial high-level meeting on September 16, 2025, to address persistent bottlenecks on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), which has been partially closed for heavy vehicles since early September due to landslides and heavy rains. The virtual session, joined by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his cabinet colleagues, senior bureaucrats, and officials from central agencies like the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), aims to expedite restoration and ensure hassle-free movement for fruit-laden trucks, critical for Kashmir’s ₹15,000 crore horticulture industry that employs 3.5 million people. Abdullah, who spoke with Gadkari recently, emphasized handing over highway management to the elected government for faster repairs, highlighting how the disruptions have led to ₹200-700 crore in losses from rotting produce.
The highway, the Valley’s sole all-weather lifeline spanning 270 km, has faced 27 rainy days this monsoon, causing 12,000 km of road damage across J&K and stranding 4,000 vehicles during a nine-day blockade ending September 10. Fruit growers in Sopore, Shopian, and Pulwama—where 70% of Kashmir’s apples originate—launched a strike today, suspending operations at Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi, affecting 1,000 truckloads. “Our apples are rotting on trees; without trucks, we’re bankrupt,” said Bashir Ahmad Bashir, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, noting a 20% yield drop from delays. The strike, supported by the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), saw workers protest at Srinagar’s Press Colony, demanding immediate HMV access.
This crisis exacerbates post-flood woes, with 150% excess rainfall displacing 15,000 families and claiming 40 lives. NHAI’s war-footing efforts, including a 300-meter diversion near Thard-Jakheni, have restored light traffic, but HMVs remain barred, spiking vegetable prices by 30-50% and drying up petrol pumps. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg assured sufficient LPG and diesel stocks for 10-15 days, but shortages loom for 1.2 crore residents. The meeting could propose rail freight expansion via the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), which ferried 753 MT of Army supplies yesterday, potentially boosting cargo by 30%. Long-term, the Z-Morh tunnel and Mughal Road upgrades are urged to mitigate annual disruptions, safeguarding 8% of J&K’s GDP from horticulture and tourism.
Stats Snapshot:
- Horticulture revenue: ₹15,000 crore; employment: 3.5 million.
- Highway damage: 12,000 km; flood losses: ₹1,200 crore.
- Stranded vehicles: 4,000; price hike: 30-50%.
- Rainfall excess: 150%; death toll: 40.