Many parts of south Kashmir witnessed squally rains leading to landslides and disruption in traffic on Tuesday. However, these squally rains were followed by gusty winds clocking in at 80km/hr in their severity causing massive damage in Shopian and Kulgam districts. In some of the videos posted on social media, the high-yield variety of apple crop has been damaged very badly. A substantial chunk of the half-ripe yield was lying ubiquitously scattered on the ground. The scenes witnessed in the aftermath of this storm suggest massive damage to the apple yield, residential infrastructure, and roads.
Even though the storm raged only for 30 to 40 minutes with the maximum speed gusts lasting only a few minutes, the intensity of the storm was so strong that it left a trail of destruction behind it. The scale is magnanimous from the looks of it. We are pretty sure that the district administration must have triggered a series of surveys and inspections to meticulously knit together a comprehensive assessment of the total extent of damage. However, the eyewitness accounts suggest wide-scale damages across the entire district of Kulgam. If the social media accounts are anything to go by then the damage looks extensive and widespread.
Damage to horticulture yield in an economy that is entirely or majorly dependent on agriculture is a huge direct loss. The loss is coming at a time when the entire investment including labour and pesticides has been made and fruit produce is about to be harvested. There are investors who invest in the orchards at the time of bloom and make the entire itinerary of due diligence expenses themselves. What a heartbreak it must have been for them. What a heartbreak!
The LG administration must immediately rush to the location of damage and immediately give temporary relief to the affected orchardists. Orchardists are the main rainmakers of our economy and every care must be taken for their welfare. The LG administration has done a great job in as far as bringing a record number of tourists to Kashmir and we are hopeful that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will impress upon the leadership in Delhi to grant immediate relief to the affected orchardists.
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