Kashmir Farmers, Orchardists Worried Over Crop as Inclement Weather Disrupts life

Srinagar: Several parts of Kashmir valley have been witnessing unseasonal rain and snowfall triggering concerns among many, including farmers and orchardists in the region. The inclement weather has disrupted normal life in many distant areas of the valley.

The snowfall and hailstorms in the upper reaches of South Kashmir’s Kulgam, Shopian and Pahalgam has resulted in damage to crops and orchards as the areas received several inches of snow recently.
 

Apple growers and farmers said that the sudden weather change and dip in temperature would impact the crop including premature fruit drop.

“The erratic weather condition is not favourable to any of our fruits especially the apple. Both unseasonal rain and the hailstorm are extremely detrimental to our trees as well as the produce,” Javed Ahmed, a grower said.

Following the crisis, the horticulture department has also issued advisory to the farmers directing them to remove accumulated snow from branches and ensure proper drainage to mitigate the effects of hailstorm and prevent infection of various diseases.

The department, according to an official, has instructed all district officers to assess and evaluate the extent of damage caused by the unprecedented snowfall and hailstorms.

Regional political parties including the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party and the J&K Peoples Conference have urged the authorities to provide special economic packages to the farmers after expressing concern over the damages they have faced.

Hail storms were also reported from many North Kashmir villages in the upper-reaches of Rafiabad including Braman, Kutru Naribal, Balhama, Khahmoh and Brandub causing damage to fruit and vegetable crops.

“No relief reaches the affected farmers. The government should go for immediate assessment of damages to fruit and vegetable crops and disburse financial relief to the affected families without any delay as they have already suffered heavy losses in last five year,” JKPC’s Abdul Gani Vakil said in a statement.

Kashmir Weather, a non-governmental weather monitoring body, has predicted further rain in some parts of central and north Kashmir and some parts of the Jammu region and snowfall at North Kashmir’s Gurez and other higher reaches of Bandipora and Ganderbal. The continuous downpour in South Kashmir, KW said, may result in the rise in water levels in streams and the Jhelum river.

According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Kashmir, river Jhelum has been shown a significant rise in the water level at several places albeit the levels are much below before the flood alert could be sounded.

The river is flowing around 10 feet at Sangam and recorded over 13 feet at Srinagar’s Munshi Bagh. Its tributaries including Vishow Nallah at Khudwani, Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi, Lidder Nallah and Doodhganga Nallah at Barzulla also reported significant rise.

The authorities also issued avalanche alert over higher reaches in four districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Baramulla districts. The weather department, however, said that there will be significant improvement in the weather system from Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, security forces involving 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF 164 Battalion and the Civil Administration said they rescued as many as 30 families, who were stranded along with their livestock at Margan Top in in the Anantnag district of South Kashmir earlier on Monday. Several arterial roads including the Mughal road, Srinagar-Leh highway and Sinthan-Margan road have been shut due to the inclement weather.