Srinagar, Oct 05 (KNS): Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday visited the hailstorm-affected areas of north Kashmir’s Kupawara district wherein large-scale damage has been caused to farmers and orchardists due to the untimely and heavy hailstorm.

Lone, along with senior leaders of the party, toured several areas in district Kupwara including Qulmona, Pachkoot, Manzgam, Malikpora, Aloosa, and Panzgam to take stock of the situation and access the damages caused to the standing crops, particularly paddy fields and orchards.

Lone expressed his sympathies with the farmers and termed the losses caused to the farmers as massive highlighting how the hailstorm has inflicted heavy financial losses on farmers and orchardists.

“The extensive damage caused by the hailstorm is a serious setback to the farmers and their livelihoods. Those affected by the storm have their livelihood in entirety dependent on their crops and with such large-scale devastation, the farmers have incurred heavy financial losses”, he said.

Lone has demanded for an immediate assessment of the losses in the area and urged the administration to provide adequate compensation to the affected farmers at the earliest.

“Those whose livelihood has been hit by the storm are already poverty-stricken and if immediate help is not provided to them at this crucial juncture, their families will face immense hardships. The administration must provide adequate relief and compensation to the affected farmers on a war footing basis”, he demanded. 

PC President was accompanied by senior leaders Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Adv Bashir Ahmed Dar, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Hafeezullah Mir, Ashiq Hussain, DDC's Adv Masrat Farooq, Mr. Habibullah Beigh, Ulfat Mushtaq among others. (KNS)