Srinagar, 16 May (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Sunday expressed anguish over the losses to the farmers due to the heavy hailstorm that lashed swaths of North Kashmir’s Kupwara, Bandipur and Baramulla districts demanding immediate relief to the affected. 

In a statement issued to Kashmir News Service (KNS), the Party’s senior leader and Member of Parliament from Baramulla Muhammad Akbar Lone said the heavy hailstorm that lashed the swaths of north Kashmir the other day has in particular affected various hamlets in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, Bandipura, Baramulla districts “The other day various areas of the district Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipura witnessed heavy rains, accompanied by hailstorms and gusty winds. The severe weather condition that lasted for hours played havoc with people farmer’s standing crops.

I am given to know that the weather vagary has defoliated, bent, breaked and stripped plants of vegetative parts, hence destroying the months of hard work of our farmers. In addition to it the hailstorm has significantly caused fatal trauma to people and cattle at various places. The heavy downpour has impacted orchids, shrubbery, electricity transmission lines at various other places as well,” he said.

Keeping in view the havoc, the severe weather played with the people’s crops and property, the divisional administration of Kashmir is expected to come to the rescue of those affected. “The district administration should immediately rush revenue teams to the affected hamlets of District Kupwara to access the losses incurred by people especially the farmers and horticulturalists so that a proper compensation is worked out at an earliest and distributed among affected forthwith,” he said demanding that the compensation to the affected farmers and horticulturalists be given on the basis of MSP.

Lone also impressed upon the district administration to ensure sourcing of fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, animal and poultry feed by the people associated with the agriculture and its allied sectors. The former legislature asked the local administration to take up the desolation, and repair work of all irrigation canals in the district as well.(KNS)