Several villages in the Shopian and Kulgam districts of South Kashmir experienced a severe windstorm accompanied by a hailstorm, causing widespread damage, particularly to apple orchards, according to local reports. Areas impacted include Kapran, Rawalpora, Nowgam, Kachdoora, Chak Kachdoora, Vehil, and their surroundings in the Shopian district, where the storm inflicted considerable harm to crops, with apples being notably affected.
Locals, heavily reliant on these orchards for their income, described the event as devastating. "These apple orchards are our lifeline. The hailstorm has devastated our entire crop, leaving us in deep distress," Ghulam Rasool, a farmer from Rawalpora, conveyed to News Vibes of India (NVI). The affected communities are calling for immediate action from authorities to assess the damage and provide necessary compensation to mitigate the impact on their livelihoods.
Source: newsvibesofindia.com