Sakina Itoo, chair of the state health board, posted her frustration on X, saying ambulances are stranded for 15‑30 minutes when security convoys roll through the Srinagar‑Anantnag corridor—an issue that has rattled families and teachers alike. She urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to adopt traffic‑management measures that keep ambulances moving.
The prohibition on civilian traffic during convoy movement was first imposed after the February 2019 Pulwama attack, when a CRPF bus was struck and the state tightened security. In April 2019 the government introduced designated convoy days on NH‑44, limiting civilian movement for several hours on those days. Although the blanket ban was later lifted amid public outcry, civilian traffic remains regulated whenever a security convoy passes. The Army claims ambulances receive priority, yet the civil administration still enforces the stoppages.
In 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Lok Sabha that civilian traffic is temporarily regulated at various points during convoy movements. Officials maintain that the army prioritises ambulances, but the civil police are tasked with traffic control.
In Qazigund, a 12‑year‑old girl missed her math lesson because the convoy halted the road for half an hour, while her parents waited for the ambulance to pass.
The government has pledged to review the convoy‑traffic protocol next week, and a meeting of the J&K Police and the Civil Administration is scheduled for Monday.