Agriculture
PDP questions Government’s ill-preparedness during snowfall in Kashmir
Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday expressed serious concern over the wide scale damage caused to the horticulture and agriculture sectors of the state while questioning government’s inadequacy in ensuring uninterrupted supply of electricity and water during the present crises.
According to PDP chief spokesman Rafi Ahmad Mir, the damages caused to the fruit industry due to the snowfall is massive and that the people associated with the horticulture sector have incurred huge losses. Mir also questioned the government’s ill-preparedness to tackle the aftermath of snowfall in Kashmir, stating that it was ironic to find that the government woke up from slumber only after the essential supplies were badly hit.
He added that the administration should have taken preemptive measures to ensure that the power lines and water supplies aren’t affected by the change in the weather as was already predicted by the weather department.
PDP Vice President Abdul Rahman Veeri also expressed concern over the unseasonable snow and rainfall damaging crops in Kashmir where farmers were pinning hopes on a good harvest to mitigate losses sustained during the previous seasons.
He demanded immediate assessment of losses incurred by the horticulturists in Valley at present and asked government to mitigate the same at an earliest. He also urged the governor administration to press into service the experts in the field of horticulture so that they could guide the fruit growers to minimize the losses and avoid such catastrophic situation to take toll in future.
Veeri said that ahead of Diwali, the demand of Kashmiri apples is high in various Indian states and that the government must expedite the snow clearance along the national highway so that the produce reaches out side markets on time instead of getting rotten in the go-downs.
PDP Vice President also urged the administration to restore power and water supplies to Valley which has been reeling under darkness since the occurrence snowfall. He added that government must ensure adequate supply of essentials to the affected areas especially in the country side wherein the nonseasonal snowfall has wrecked havoc.
PDP General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura termed the damage caused to the horticulture sector in Kashmir worrisome, stating that the government must assess the losses and mitigate the affected farmers at an earliest. He further stated that in district Budgam, the areas that have been worst affected include char-e-Sharief, Pakharpora, Gogjipathri, Surasyar, Khansahib, Beerwah and several others.
He added that the snowfall has left the fruit growers in the midst of tumultuous times and losses incurred are massive. Hanjura further stated that there are various areas in Budgam district that have become inaccessible due to the absence of snow clearing machines and urged the government to restore connectivity besides the supply of essentials in these areas without further delay.
(with inputs from KNS)
