Landslides bring Kashmir trade to a halt

Heavy rains, flash floods stop trade for a week.

MIRPUR: Trade between two Kashmirs through the Line of Control (LoC) has come to a grinding halt as landslides caused by heavy rains and flash floods have blocked the historic Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road.

According to officials, trade between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar has been suspended for a week following overnight rains and flash floods, which washed away a portion of the centuries-old Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road.

“The Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road has been damaged due to a second spell of heavy rains, which have swept away a portion of the road (near Red Bridge in Chakothi Uri sector) linking Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Indian-held Kashmir,” an official told The Express Tribune on Wednesday. The road was also blocked at Lagma due to the landslides.

“Traders on the other side of the LoC are anxiously waiting for the road link to be restored as around 30 trucks carrying bananas are stuck in Salamabad near Chakothi Uri crossing point waiting to cross over into this side of the LoC,” he said. The traders were making efforts to save the bananas from rotting. They could take the trucks back to Srinagar fruit market for sale in the domestic market.

According to government authorities, it will take at least a week to restore the road link and suspension of activities has caused trouble for traders of both sides.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2012.