Shortage of essentials, NH closure adds to Valley woes

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 31

Even as frequent closure of the national highway has added to the problems in the ongoing Covid lockdown, people in Kashmir valley continue to face shortage of essential goods. The Srinagar-Jammu national highway, Valley’s only surface link with the rest of the country, remained shut for the fifth consecutive day today leaving both locals and traders fuming.

“My child is not feeling well and I wanted to buy chicken or mutton to make soup….unfortunately, I have not been able to buy meat or chicken for over a week now. Even vegetables and medicines are hard to get. I had to call a relative, who has a medical shop to get me supply of medicines,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a resident of Sanatnagar.

While several other residents were found having similar complaints related to buying of essentials, the traders too are feeling the pinch.

“There is shortage of groceries and medicines in markets. Before the Covid forced a lockdown, we had been urging the authorities to take steps to repair the national highway or find an alternative. We faced several problems like shortage of petrol, LPG etc in the winter months also as the highway either remained shut or open to one-way traffic only. Now, things can get worse in the present scenario of the Covid pandemic. Today, it is shut for the fifth straight day and I have been told that the highway will remain shut tomorrow as well,” said Aijaz Shahdhar, president, Kashmir Trade Alliance.

“There should have been a mechanism to make essential items available to consumers at door steps but here, people are running from pillar to post amid restrictions,” he added.

An official said the government yesterday had constituted various coordination teams to ensure the movement of essential goods and services to address the difficulties arising out of prohibitory measures.