Horticulture Dept to assess snow damage

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 25

With back to back spells of heavy snowfall causing widespread damage to orchards across Kashmir Valley, the Horticulture Department is readying for the final assessment of losses caused by snowstorms.

The Chief Horticulture Officers have been directed to gear up their field staff for the final assessment of damages caused by the recent snowfall. The officers have been directed to work in consultation with revenue authorities, so that the report is submitted to the quarters concerned for compensation to the affected farmers.

The direction was issued yesterday by Director Horticulture Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, at an interactive session with the members of fruit growers’ association of southern Pulwama district. The growers had demanded that losses suffered by them during the recent spells of snowfall should be compensated at the earliest.

The autumnal snowstorm in the first week of November had caused widespread damage to apple orchards and other fruit trees across the Valley. The snowfall caused an increased damage as the trees were yet to shed their leaves, which led the snow to accumulate and overburdened the trees.

Kashmir Valley received three spells of precipitation during the month, which included two spells of moderate and heavy snowfall.

It is for the second consecutive year, that orchards have faced huge damage due to unseasonal spell of heavy snowfall as Kashmir Valley had received a similar snowstorm in the first week of November last year.

Kashmir’s horticulture sector, which generates huge revenue and is the backbone of rural economy, has suffered setbacks, as volatile situation in the region had badly impacted this season’s harvest.