Be it snowfall, landslides or road closure, there will be no food crisis in Kashmir (file photo)
Naveen Nawaz, Srinagar. Chillen Kalan will reach Kashmir on December 21 and with it the period of snowfall and dense fog will begin.
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway may also be closed, but people in the valley are not in any doubt about the availability of food grains during Chillen Kalan.
Reason: Along with Chille Kalan, a goods train laden with food grains is also reaching the valley on Sunday. Food Corporation of India is transporting 1384 tonnes of food grains to Kashmir through railways. This will be the first train to supply food grains through train in the valley.
The goods train with 21 bogies laden with rice, sugar and wheat, which left today from Ajitwal Firozpur in Punjab, will reach the goods terminal established in Anantnag in South Kashmir at 9 am on Sunday.
It is noteworthy that on December 21, the traditionally coldest winter season in Kashmir, called Chille Kalan, is starting. Anantnag Goods Terminal was started on August 9 this year.
Before this, cement rakes, industrial and other equipment, military material are being transported to Kashmir through trains. According to sources related to the Food Corporation of India, at present the corporation's storage capacity in the valley is about 95 thousand metric tons.
With the supply of food grains ensured through Railways, it is proposed to increase this capacity to about 1.5 lakh metric tonnes in the next one year.
It would not be out of place to mention here that before the rail connectivity of Kashmir Valley was restored, supplies of material were supplied to Kashmir only through road.
This not only took more time but also cost more. Along with this, while the movement of large number of trucks on the road was creating problems for the common passengers, their noise and smoke was also causing harm to the environment.
Apart from this, whenever the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed due to snow, rain and landslides, the supply of essential goods to Kashmir also came to a standstill. Black marketing and hoarding became active. However, supply of food grains through railways will be helpful in removing these problems.
A Kashmir-based official of the Food Corporation of India said that at Anantnag terminal we are fully prepared to receive and store the food grains coming from Punjab. We have our own big warehouse at a short distance from Anantnag Goods Terminal and such warehouses are not found in other cities of the valley.
As per district requirement, this food grain will be transported to the respective warehouses through trucks only. He said that transportation of food grains to Kashmir by train is very cheap and easy for us and the corporation.
While talking to Dainik Jagran, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Jammu Railway Division, Adhik Singhal said that Sunday is not only important for Kashmir, December 21, 2025 is also going to be a memorable day for us, because the arrival of food grains to Kashmir by rail is another milestone in connecting Kashmir with the National Freight Network.
This is a historic success and a major step towards meeting the food grain needs of the Kashmir Valley. This reflects our resolve for the modernization of the Railways and development of the region.
Transportation of grains through railways will be faster and cheaper, which will benefit farmers and consumers. He said that FCI and Railways are seriously considering providing more such train services in other parts of Kashmir in the future. This will bring a big change in logistics and supply chain in the entire state.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, former chairman of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said that Kashmir's connection with the freight network of Railways is beneficial for all of us.
Due to this, the supply of food grains, fuel and other goods in Kashmir is not only becoming easier but the crisis which the traders here were always worried about will also go away. Black marketing and hoarding will also stop. Everyone will benefit directly or indirectly from this.