SRINAGAR: A week-long closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway has left Kashmir fruit growers facing huge losses, with more than 1,000 fruit-laden trucks stranded carrying apples and pears worth crores.
The highway, which connects Kashmir with the rest of the country, was damaged by landslides and mudslides between Jakhaini and Chenani in Udhampur following heavy rains.
Although the Mughal Road is open, authorities have not permitted heavy vehicles to use it. The closure has come at the peak of the apple and pear harvest season. Each truck carries fruit worth somewhere between Rs 5 and Rs 10 lakh.