Jammu – Srinagar highway blockade causes shortage of essential commodities in valley
Strict curfew continued for the 10th day on Sunday in the Kashmir Valley, police said.
“Curfew shall continue in all the ten districts of the Valley,” a senior police official said.
“Security forces have been instructed to allow movement of patients along with their attendants.”
The death toll in the ongoing violence reached 44 after an unruly mob torched a police picket in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday. Police opened fire at the mob resulting in the death of a youth.
All vernacular and English dailies suspended publication for the second day on Sunday.
State government officials said newspaper owners were asked to suspend publications till July 19.
Cable television operations were allowed on Saturday evening after remaining suspended for a day.
The resumption of cable television operations was allowed after the operators agreed to take off all Pakistani TV channels and two private Indian channels.
Mobile phone internet and call operations remained suspended in south Kashmir areas for the eighth day while the same remained suspended for the second day in central and north Kashmir areas on Sunday.
Mobile phone operations without any internet facility are, however, continuing on post paid mobile phones provided by the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
Train services between north Kashmir Baramulla and Bannihal town in the Jammu region also remained suspended.
All recruitment interviews scheduled for the next four days have been cancelled by the state public service commission (PSC).
All schools, colleges and universities in the Valley were also shut down.
Senior separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and others have been either placed under house arrest or taken into preventive custody to restrain them from participating in protests.
Separatists have appealed the people to continue the shutdown till Monday.
The shutdown in the Valley started on July 9 following the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani in a gunfight with the security forces on July 8.
Kashmir Valley is facing shortage of essential commodities due to the frequent blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway imposed by the Authorities here.
A large number of vehicles remain stranded on the national highway and due to the blockade of the Highway the essential commodities are short in supply. On Friday there was no traffic on the highway as heavy security clampdown across Kashmir crippled the life here. The one-way traffic was however restored on Saturday, but during the day the traffic doesn’t ply on the national highway.
The Highway has remained mostly deserted for the last eight days which has caused the supply crises here. There is however a massive security deployment which has been carried out on the Jammu-Srinagar road due to the ongoing Amarnath yatra.
Officials said that the yatra is being allowed only during the night time and due to the heavy rush of vehicles the essential commodities couldn’t be ferried to Kashmir. The truckers remain stranded on the Panthachowk-Batmaloo bypass during the day and are allowed the movement only during the night. Over 1,000 trucks remained stranded on the highway on Saturday between the Udhampur-Banihal stretch which was later cleared for onward movement to Jammu.
Officials said that the Amarnath yatra was allowed on Saturday from Jammu side and crossed the Jawahar tunnel during the night. Senior Superintendent of Police, National Highway, Sanjay Kotwal, said that the vehicles are allowed during the night to prevent damages in the unrest in Kashmir. “The movement of vehicles is allowed from 10 pm to 6 am. Our priority remains to clear the passenger vehicles after which we allow the movement of the trucks. The Amarnath yatra is also only allowed during the night to prevent any untoward incident.’’
Due to the blockade of the national highway people are facing shortage of essential commodities. However Deputy Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department (CAPD), Sajad Yehya Naqash, said that the food outlets remain open. “We have kept all our sales outlets open. However we are not able to conduct the sales as people can’t reach the outlets.’’ Yehya said that at the vegetable market in Batmalloo, an adequate supply of the vegetables is available. “ This year there was a bumper vegetable production. We are ensuring the distribution of the vegetables to different areas.” He said that even the trucks carrying vegetables are being exported outside the state.
