Amid rising resentment and growing anger among Kashmir’s fruit growers, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari held a video conference to address persistent issues on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44). The vital road link had remained closed for about 22 days following major landslides and heavy rains, causing severe problems for commuters, especially Kashmir’s fruit farmers, as it coincided with the peak apple harvesting season.
The highway, the only road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, was severely damaged at multiple points, particularly between Nashri and Udhampur, after record rainfall in August 2025. The prolonged closure left thousands of vehicles, including hundreds of fruit-laden trucks, stranded on both sides. With apple harvesting underway, the delay in transporting perishable produce led to estimated losses of nearly ₹1,000 crore for the horticulture sector.
Frustrated by the lack of urgent action, fruit growers staged protests in Kashmir and kept all fruit mandis shut for two days, calling the delays a “man-made disaster” and demanding immediate intervention from the central government.
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On Monday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that NH-44 falls under the Highway Ministry’s jurisdiction. Writing on X, he posted, “Just spoke to Union Minister @MORTHIndia @nitin_gadkari Sb regarding the situation along NH-44 & the lack of connectivity with the rest of the country along this vital link.
The frustration of fruit growers is understandable. They were patient for the first few days, but watching their hard work rot because @nhidcl is unable to stabilize the highway has worn their patience thin — and that is totally understandable.
Some concrete steps will be taken within the next 24 hours to address this problem, but I will wait for that to happen before commenting further on the proposed plan of action.”
Taking serious note of the crisis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari assured CM Abdullah that the Centre is committed to restoring NH-44 to full capacity as soon as possible.
NHAI teams have already built a temporary two-lane diversion, allowing partial traffic movement. More than a dozen excavators and over 50 earthmovers are operating around the clock to clear debris and repair damage.
Following Abdullah’s plea, Gadkari agreed to prioritize clearing the backlog of stranded heavy vehicles before resuming blacktopping work. Abdullah also emphasized that large trucks could not be diverted to alternative routes like the Mughal Road.
Writing on X, Gadkari stated:
“Chaired a review meeting on the status of NH-44 with Chief Minister of J&K, Shri @OmarAbdullah Ji, and senior officers of the UT Administration in Delhi today.
Despite relentless rains and a major hill slide, NHAI teams are working tirelessly to keep this key highway operational. A 2-lane temporary diversion has been built, and traffic movement has resumed. Over a dozen excavators and 50+ earthmovers are deployed round the clock for clearing and repairs.
We are determined to restore this vital national highway to full strength at the earliest, ensuring safety and convenience for all road users.”
In addition to NH-44 efforts, more than 2,200 fruit-laden trucks were successfully evacuated via the Mughal Road in the 24 hours leading up to the meeting.
The instructions issued by the Union Minister during the video conference aim to immediately address the crisis and minimize further hardships for commuters and farmers. By prioritizing the clearance of fruit trucks, authorities hope to reduce the massive economic losses suffered by the horticulture industry.
