Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday declared heavy rainfall and snowfall last week as State Specific Calamity for providing relief to the affected families and Departments from SDRF.
In an order issued here, the government accorded sanction to the declare spell of heavy rainfall and heavy snowfall during the period of 23rd and 24th of October as “State Specific Calamity” in-terms of para 3 (ii) of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) guidelines issued by MHA, Gol, vide no.33-5/2015-NDM-l dated 30.07.2015
“Districts covered under above declaration for spell of heavy Rainfall/Snowfall are Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian of Kashmir Division and Jammu, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Reasi, Samba and Kathua, of Jammu Division.”
Last week Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the administration was extending all possible support to the famers and introducing new reforms to make J&K a leading region in Horticulture and Agriculture production.
“Recent heavy rain, hailstorm and snow affecting the crops have been declared a natural calamity and UT-specific disaster. Government will provide relief to all the farmers, who have suffered damages,” the Lt Governor said
Last week, widespread snow and heavy rains caused a “considerable” damage to apple orchards in south Kashmir’s Shopian, Pulwama and Kulwgam districts.
Orchardists recalled that loss was as worst as it was due to the snowfall in the first week of November in Kashmir in 2018.
Reports said that orchards in Padpawan, Zawora, Badrihama, Pinjora, Herpora, Sedow Chekh, Kellar, Resh Nagri, Imam Sahib and other adjacent hamlets suffered damage due to snowfall, starting since Friday night. In most of the places, the twigs and branches of trees were broken. Many farmers said that overall loss was “considerable”. Besides there was damage to fruit trees itself and was likely to have bearing next season, they said.
“Many orchardists were still busy with harvesting and as such had not trimmed off their trees due to which there has been extensive damage”, said Nazir Ahmad, a local farmer of Padpawan. “It will have an impact next season,” he said.
The “unexpected” weather conditions plunged the whole populace into despair and gloom in the southern Kashmir.
Director General (DG) Horticulture, Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat conducted an “extensive” tour of various places of district Pulwama and Shopian on October 23.
During the tour, he visited various orchards particularly those located at the most affected areas of district Shopian—Zawora, Badrihama, Pinjora, Aglar, Balpora, Kanipora, Ganapora, Shirmal, Keegam, Kellar etc.
“As per initial reports, approximately 10 percent of damage has been reported from snowfall affected areas till today evening,” reads an official statement issued on October 23 itself. It was not immediately known if final estimation regarding the loss to farmers has been worked out.
