| Hailstorm, untimely rains cause heavy damage to crops | | Farmers seek compensation of losses | | S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Apr 3 : Dozens of villages in Baramulla district of north Kashmir witnessed untimely heavy rain and hailstorm that has damaged most of the crops, including apple orchards.
According to sources, incessant rains and untimely hail storm has damaged most of the crops including Mustard oil fields and apple orchards in various areas of Rafiabad tehsil today afternoon.
Various villages including Hunoora, Chatoosa, Binner, Rafiabad, Buden, Achbal, Hadipora, Panzaloo, Shaitloo and other adjacent areas of Rafiabad tehsil have been severely affected by the hail storms, sources told Early Times. Sources said that continuous rainfall from past two days and hailstorm today caused maximum loss in the areas where apple was in flowering stage and constant low temperature is affecting fruit setting process.
However fruit growers believe that the crop that has been affected the most included apple, cherry and mustard oil, adding that it is all because of fresh western disturbance in the Western Himalayan region and rains have created flood like situation in many lower areas of Rafiabad.
Ghulam Nabi of Hudpora said that, "one can understand that it is really very unfortunate that rains have continued to lash for the second dayon Sunday. However a group of farmers have appealed the authorities to compensate the loss. As for the predictions of MeT department is concerned than we will face huge losses as maximum numbers of crops are still in the flowering stage, said a local.
While as reports have reached to Early Times from other parts of north Kashmir where hailstorm has also affected maximum number of crops. A hailstorm and strong winds, besides heavy rains caused huge damage to crops and vegetable farms in Kashmir, leaving farmers in distress over expected losses, said another farmer Nazir Ahmad.
Expressing their sorrow, farmers said that they invested huge amount of money for sowing high yielding vegetable seeds, but the hailstorm destroyed their entire fields.
It is learnt from sources that MeT has predicted more rains at isolated places in Kashmir Valley and said that the weather may improve fromTuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile rains continue to lash Kashmir Valley for the second consecutive day bringing down temperatures.
The continuous downpour resulted in flooding of lanes, bye-lanes and roads in other districts of north Kashmir, hundreds of fruit-borne trees were damaged causing anxiety and perplexity among farmers and fruit growers. |
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