Highway closure pushes Kashmir to the Brink
Valley reels under severe shortages of fuel, LPG and essentials
By: Our Special Correspondent
Srinagar, Sep 15: The Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, Kashmir’s only all-weather road link to the rest of the country, has remained shut for more than 18 consecutive days, plunging the Valley into an unprecedented crisis. Landslides and sinking stretches triggered by heavy rains have snapped supplies, leading to acute shortages of petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders, and essential commodities.
Long queues of desperate motorists have become a common sight outside petrol stations in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama and Anantnag, with many returning home empty-handed. Several pumps have downed shutters altogether after exhausting their stocks.
“I waited for six hours in line but could not get even a litre of petrol. This is sheer helplessness—we are being pushed back to the 1990s,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a commuter from Pulwama.
The crisis has crippled public transport, with buses and goods carriers largely off the roads. “Hundreds of supply trucks carrying rice, flour, LPG and medicines are stranded on the other side of the Banihal. Our drivers have been living on the roadside for two weeks. If the blockade continues, Kashmir will be pushed into a famine-like situation,” warned Abdul Rashid, a transporter from Baramulla.
Ordinary households are rationing what little remains. “I have only half a gas cylinder left. Black marketers are charging more than Rs 2,000 for one cylinder, and the authorities are silent. Vegetables are scarce, and prices of onions and tomatoes have doubled within a week,” lamented Farida Begum, a homemaker in Srinagar’s old city.
Traders say the prolonged highway closure has badly hit the local economy. “Business has come to a halt. Shop shelves are empty, transport is paralysed, and hotels are running out of supplies. If the highway doesn’t reopen immediately, Kashmir’s economy will bleed,” said Bashir Ahmad, president of a traders’ body in Anantnag.
Officials admitted the magnitude of the problem but assured people of early relief. “The scale of landslides is massive this time, but men and machinery are working round-the-clock to restore traffic. Once cleared, stranded supply vehicles will be released in phases to ensure essential commodities reach the Valley,” said an official from the traffic department.
The opposition has lashed out at the administration for failing to create viable alternatives.
“Kashmir cannot be held hostage every time the highway closes. This has become a yearly nightmare. The government has failed to ensure stockpiling, failed to complete alternative routes, and failed to protect common people from exploitation,” said National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.
Experts and civil society groups have also renewed calls for urgent development of additional all-weather connectivity.
“The Zojila and Mughal Road projects must be expedited. Depending on a single fragile highway for 80 lakh people is a recipe for disaster,” said Fayaz Bhat, a Srinagar-based economist.
As Kashmir remains cut off for more than two weeks, anxiety is mounting among residents who fear the crisis may deepen if the road is not restored soon. For many, the highway is more than just a road—it is the Valley’s only lifeline.
