The untimely autumn snow has wreaked havoc in Kashmir, causing extensive damage to apple orchards and plunging the Valley into darkness. The administration has come under sharp criticism for being caught unawares.
This man’s spirits are completely crushed. His apple crop awaiting packing is buried under the snow & all his efforts over the summer, his investment in tree oil & other treatments has been for nothing. It’s no wonder he’s weeping the way he is. #tragic https://t.co/kUPAbl2xGa
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 4, 2018
The inner power transmission system has been badly hit owing to Saturday’s snowfall. While the Power Development Department claimed supply would be restored by Sunday evening, outages were witnessed in major hospitals of the region.
“Of the normal 380-MW load, Srinagar district is feeding around 300 MW. Any outage at the local level due to transformer/wire damage is being catered to,” said Srinagar DC Abid Rasheed Shah. Swathes of apple orchards have been affected across the region, with extensive damage in Kulgam and Shopian, the apple-rich districts where the upper reaches recorded 1 to 2 feet of snowfall.
The region has received snowfall in November on three previous occasions — 2004, 2008 and 2009. In 2009, the untimely snowfall was recorded on November 10, whereas this year it came a week earlier when most of fruit-bearing trees were still covered in thick foliage, causing accumulation of snow.
“I have grown apple over 50 kanals, but majority of tress have broken because of the snow,” said Abdul Rashid from Tral. “The extent of damage would be clear once field reports are compiled,” said a horticulture officer.PTI
