Sopore, Sept 13: A peaceful protest was held at Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi in Sopore on Saturday against the blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway due to fresh landslides at several places. President of the Sopore Fruit Mandi, Fayaz Ahmad Malik, while talking to media he expressed concern over the crisis. He said thousands of fruit-laden trucks remain stranded on the highway, causing estimated losses of ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 crore. Malik urged the authorities to immediately clear the route and allow traffic movement toward Jammu to prevent further damage to the perishable produce. Appealing to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, he requested a two-day traffic clearance window exclusively for trucks carrying fruit. He also stressed the urgent need to restore train services from Sopore, pointing out that the region is a major hub for fruit and agricultural exports. Malik added that growers have already faced severe financial losses this season due to repeated transportation disruptions.