Incessant rain damages imported dry fruits stored at Attari check post

Dry fruits kept at the godown of the integrated check post (ICP), Attari, which enables India’s cross-border commerce with Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been destroyed by incessant rain over the previous two days.

While the ICP management said it was only a ‘minor damage,’ merchants believe they had lost a total of Rs 40 crore. Traders have requested compensation from the national government and punishment against the authorities involved, accusing the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), which administers the ICP’s affairs, of paying ‘no attention’ to stored goods during the rains.

Despite the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan, approximately three dozen trucks import dry fruit every day via the ICP, including dried dates, figs, walnuts, pistachios and raisins. The upcoming festival season in India will see an all-time surge in the demand for the same.

‘Goods brought by around 50 trucks were stored at the ICP’s godown. These goods were damaged by rainwater leaking through the broken roof. We have suffered a loss of nearly Rs 40 crore because of the negligence of ICP authorities,’ said Anil Mehra, president, Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association, adding that they have been facing the same problem every monsoon.

Traders estimate that each truck includes dried fruit worth between 70 and 80 lakh rupees. On the first day, they pay Rs 4 per tonne in storage fees, which rise to Rs 10 on the second day and then to Rs 50-150 on the third day.

‘Despite paying a heavy fee to the LPAI, we have no assurance of the safety of our imported goods. Sometimes, customs officials give clearance for loading the goods from the godown after one day, and sometimes the process takes three to five days,’ Mehra added.

Also Read: Headmaster suspended as video shows students cleaning school in UP

According to sources, since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the customs agency has heightened vigilance at the border, and every truck bringing products in from the war-torn nation is rigorously inspected.

Another trader in Amritsar, who did not want to be identified, said: ‘Our trade with Afghanistan has been running on mutual trust. As banks in Afghanistan have been closed due to the Taliban takeover, we are getting dry fruit from our counterparts in the crisis-hit country on a credit basis. We are already worried that trade with Afghanistan could be stopped anytime. The ICP authorities should also consider the gravity of the situation.’

ICP manager Sukhdev Singh stated: ‘We are installing solar panels on the godown roof. Due to the ongoing work, some water had leaked through the roof two days ago. However, the situation is under control and there was only minor damage to the stored goods.’

For the previous two years, the ICP has only seen imports from Afghanistan. After New Delhi’s decision to repeal Article 370, Pakistan halted all commercial connections with India via the transit route. Pakistan refuses to let India use the corridor to sell commodities to Afghanistan.