12 villages affected by hailstorm in Shopian

Shopian, June 03: The Department of Horticulture has begun assessing the damage caused by a recent hailstorm that struck South Kashmir’s Shopian district, severely impacting fruit orchards across 12 villages.Chief Horticulture Officer (CHO) Shopian, Muneer Ahmad, told Rising Kashmir that the hailstorm occurred on Monday and affected the villages of Wadipora, Reshipora, Drawni, Wuyan, Bandpawa, Handew, Nagbal, Dhobipora, Dachew, Warpora, Gundi Darwesh, and Hushanpora.These villages fall under the Chitragam and Imamsahib tehsils of the Zainapora subdivision in Shopian.The affected areas experienced hailstorm for durations ranging from 15 to 35 minutes,” Ahmad said, noting that Wadipora, Reshipora, and Drawni were the worst hit, with hail continuing for the full 35 minutes.In other villages like Nagbal, Bandpawa, and Wuyan, the storm lasted between 20 to 30 minutes, while the remaining areas witnessed hail for about 15 to 20 minutes.“The tentative overall damage ranges from 45% to 90%,” he said, adding that field teams are currently on the ground conducting a detailed assessment. An advisory has also been issued for orchard management in the aftermath of the storm.The timing of the hailstorm has caused significant losses to cherry growers, as the crop was ripe and ready for harvest.Local farmers reported that walnut-sized apple fruits were also cracked by the hailstones.“The damaged areas on the apples are likely to rot quickly,” a group of farmers warned, expressing deep concern over the future of their crop.Pertinent to mention, Shopian experienced multiple hailstorms of varying intensity throughout May 2025. A particularly severe storm on April 29 affected nearly 58 villages, causing widespread damage to fruit-bearing trees.Local orchardists have appealed to the government to bring apples under the crop insurance scheme.“We’ve been requesting the authorities for years to provide insurance coverage for apple crops,” said one farmer, Adding, “It’s the only way to protect our livelihood from recurring natural disasters.”