Kashmir admn to prioritise movement of perishable goods on Srinagar-Jammu NH during Amarnath Yatra

Authorities in Kashmir Valley have decided to prioritise the movement of trucks carrying perishable items on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which began from Jammu on Wednesday.

As per an advisory issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, the traffic police have been asked to identify a dedicated five-kilometre stretch along NH-44 for parking fruit and vegetable-laden vehicles to ensure their smooth passage amid the Yatra convoy movements.

The advisory emphasised that the agriculture and horticulture sectors are critical to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, and the UT administration is fully committed to supporting growers and facilitating the marketing of their produce.

It noted that while the use of NH-44 is managed according to traffic police advisories that aim to balance the needs of all stakeholders, it has been reported that, with the onset of the Amarnath Yatra and the fresh fruit season, adequate time slots are not being allocated for trucks carrying perishable goods. This, the advisory said, has led to inconvenience for fruit growers and traders, as the downside movement of these trucks is getting hampered.

To address the issue, the administration has decided that vehicles ferrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims will continue to receive first priority on the highway, followed by trucks carrying fruits and vegetables.

The advisory further directed traffic police to earmark a five-kilometre stretch between Levdoora and the Navyug Tunnel in South Kashmir exclusively for parking fruit and vegetable-laden trucks, to facilitate their priority movement.

“Other motor vehicles waiting for onward movement towards Jammu should be allowed to park only beyond Levdoora,” it said.

Fruit and vegetable growers have been requested to load and park their trucks at the designated site by 9 am daily, so that the traffic police can easily identify and release these vehicles once the daily Yatra-related convoy movement is over.

Additionally, the Department of Agriculture Production has been asked to issue instructions to all growers to display placards, hoardings, or banners on their trucks clearly mentioning the produce and its place of origin. This will help the authorities easily identify perishable goods carriers and facilitate their swift movement.

The advisory also said that trucks carrying perishable goods may be allowed to use alternate routes such as the Jawahar Tunnel or the Mughal Road if desired.