Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 5: Recent floods in Kashmir have caused extensive damage to farmland, crops, and horticultural produce, leaving local farmers devastated.
The flood waters have submerged acres of paddy fields, fruit orchards, and other essential crops.
The floodwaters have also damaged numerous structures, exacerbating the loss for families whose livelihoods depend on agriculture.
Several farmers described the extent of the destruction, with many expressing their concerns about the future of their crops and their families’ survival.
“Our fields are completely submerged. This flood is worse than anything we’ve seen in the past decade,” said Ghulam Mohammad, a farmer from the Awantipora area. “The paddy crop, which was almost ready for harvest, has been washed away. All that hard work is gone.”
The damage also extends to horticultural crops, with apple orchards, one of the valley’s most valuable agricultural assets, severely impacted. “The apples were just about to ripen, and now they’ve been destroyed,” lamented Shabir Ahmad, an orchard owner from Anantnag. “Our trees are soaked, and many of the fruits have fallen. It’s a total loss.”
As the floodwaters recede, the full scale of the destruction becomes more evident. The affected families are now calling for urgent compensation, and some are drawing comparisons to the devastating 2014 floods, which similarly ravaged large parts of the region.
In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir government provided financial assistance and compensation to those affected by the flood.
Farmers and residents are now urging the government to take similar steps.
“In 2014, the government promised us compensation and relief,” said a local farmer, Mehmood Ali. “We are once again asking for the same support. If the government could help us then, there’s no reason they can’t do so now.”
The local administration is already at work, assessing the damage across the valley. According to officials, a report on the extent of the destruction will soon be submitted to the government, and compensation plans will be discussed thereafter.
“We are in the process of gathering all the necessary information on the damages,” a senior official said.
“Once the assessment is complete, we will submit a report to the government, and relief measures will be implemented accordingly.”
