Road Blocked, Apple Growers in Banjar Unable to Transport Their Harvest

Damaged road also forces schoolchildren to walk several kilometres daily

Apple growers in several villages of Banjar subdivision, Kullu district, are unable to move their produce as road connectivity remains disrupted due to heavy rains and landslides. The Nagladi–Sharci road, considered a lifeline for the area, has been blocked for more than six weeks, leaving orchards in Sharci, Jamala, Shalwar, Dughagarh, and Badigarh cut off with apple crops stuck in storage.

Without transport facilities, growers are watching their harvest rot. Some apples have already fallen to the ground, while others remain packed in crates waiting to be sent to market. For many families in this mountainous belt, apple farming is the sole source of income, and the prolonged road blockade has pushed them into deep uncertainty.

Sharci Gram Panchayat Pradhan Rameshwari voiced concern over the worsening situation. “Our apple growers have suffered huge losses. Their crops are either destroyed or lying packed with no means of transport. Now they are worried about how they will sustain their families in the coming months,” she said.

In desperation, some growers have hired porters or carried crates on foot to Gushaini, paying nearly ₹100 per crate for the arduous 16.5 km journey, from where the apples are moved to markets like Kullu. However, most farmers say this is not a viable long-term solution.

Villagers have also expressed frustration at the slow pace of relief. “The Deputy Commissioner of Kullu had visited the area earlier and promised a ropeway facility for apple transport, but no progress has been made so far,” said one local resident.

The disruption has also hit schoolchildren, who now walk several kilometres daily to attend classes. “Restoring this road is vital not just for farmers but also for our children’s education,” said local resident Mool Chand Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) has deployed additional machinery to speed up restoration. Banjar’s Executive Engineer, Chaman Singh Thakur, said the 16.4-km Nagladi–Sharci stretch had suffered extensive damage, particularly between the 2 km and 5 km mark. “Our priority is to restore access so that farmers can reach the main road and transport their produce to markets,” he said.