Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 20: Falls from walnut trees are turning out to be a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in Kashmir, especially during the harvesting season of August and September months.
Over the years, mostly young people who also happened to be the lone bread earners of their families have become victims of the fall. Experts believe that this is due to the crude traditional methods applied in walnut harvesting.
An official at the horticulture department said that the walnut trees are “occupational hazards” in Kashmir.
“Many lives can be saved if the farmers are educated and more scientific methods are used like the manufacture of tree stands at about 30 feet height, use of non-slip boots, use of headgear, chest and abdomen gears,” he said.
In the ongoing walnut threshing season, several persons have lost their lives while several have received critical injuries due to falling from walnut trees.
As per the data available, those who lost their lives after falling from walnut trees this season are Manzoor Ahmad Najar from Bijhama Baramulla (Sep 19), Abdul Gani Dar from Pinglish Tral (Sep 15), Mohammad Akbar Sheikh from Gulgam Kupwara (Sep 11), Mohammad Yousuf Khan from Rafiabad Baramulla (Sep 05), Ali Mohammad Waloo from Nowgam Bandipora (Sep 01), and Mohammad Ashraf Dar from Hajin Bandipora (Aug 26.)
Many other persons have received injuries while several cases have not been reported.
Another official said that during the fall from walnut trees, most people suffer injuries in the head, brain, spinal, chest, abdominal and limbs, leaving most of them paralysed for a lifetime.
The farmers should be provided with nets so that if there is a fall, a person will fall on the net, and the casualties can be avoided, another official said.
As per the official data, around 2.66 lakh metric tonnes of walnuts are cultivated on 89,000 hectares across Jammu & Kashmir.
Walnuts constitute almost 98 percent of the dry fruit that Kashmir produces a year. Kashmiri walnut is an export commodity fetching around Rs 120 crore a year. It is exported in the form of nuts as well as the kernels.
