Govt to extend financial assistance to eligible hailstorm affected farmers

Srinagar, Sep 25: The government will extend financial assistance to all eligible farmers affected by the hailstorm that occurred during the intervening night of September 18 and 19, 2026 in various areas of Srigufwara and Bijbehara.
This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary who was replying, on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to a Calling Attention Motion moved by Legislator Dr. Bashir Ahmad ShahVeeri.
The Dy CM stated that the government has put in place a mechanism to assess the crop damage and extend financial assistance to the eligible affected farmers under the applicable relief and crop insurance mechanisms.
“The farmers enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) will receive financial settlement directly from the designated insurance companies after proper verification. Besides, the farmers who have not registered themselves under PMFBY may be compensated under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF),” he stated.
Regarding the extent of damage, the Dy CM said that as per the preliminary assessment, 83.5 hectares of agricultural land belonging to 415 farmers has been affected. In several locations, damage to paddy crops has been assessed in the range of 70 to 95 per cent, with the highest damage reported in Trai-Sakhras and Hanumanpora areas.
In the horticulture sector, preliminary damage ranging between 5 and 15 per cent has been reported across areas including Hafizabad, Arwani, Rakh Moman, Marhama, T.M. Shah, Semthan, Baliyar, Trail, Hanumanpora, Adlash and Chandpora.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the concerned field agencies have been directed to undertake proper assessment and verification of crop losses to ensure that the eligible farmers receive relief as per the prescribed provisions.