Hailstorm in south Kashmir causes heavy losses to apples

Heavy to moderate rains, accompanied by thunder and a damaging hailstorm, lashed the Kashmir valley starting Friday night, leaving behind a trail of devastation for orchard owners in south Kashmir.

- HT Correspondents

SRINAGAR:

Several parts of the valley experienced significant rainfall from Saturday afternoon, while the upper reaches, including Tulail in Gurez of Bandipora district, received fresh snowfall, prompting the administration to close schools up to the primary level.

The hailstorm, which struck various areas on Friday evening and continued today, has severely damaged the blooming flowers in orchards, particularly in the apple-rich belt of Shopian, according to growers.

Political leaders have voiced their concern over the plight of the farmers. Former J&K chief minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti expressed her dismay on 'X' (formerly Twitter), stating, "Yesterday's hailstorm wreaked havoc on fruit orchards across the valley leaving farmers devastated. Horticulture is the backbone of our economy & has consistently supported the region even in the most difficult times. Urge the government to immediately deploy assessment teams to evaluate the extent of the damage & provide all possible assistance to the affected farmers."