About 60 per cent citrus fruit crop has been damaged due to recent snowfall in this picturesque valley in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, inflicting heavy losses on orchardists who are now hoping for a financial package.
The Chenab valley region is the leading producer of the citrus fruit crop including lemon, oranges, sweet lemon, Kinnu and Mosambi in the Union Territory with Bhaderwah Valley contributing 45 per cent of the total yield.
Bhadarwah along with Kellar, Pranoo, Shiva, Bhallesa, Dessa, Chatroo and Marmat in Doda experienced heavy snowfall between Thursday and Sunday.
"Nearly 60 per cent of the citrus fruit crops have suffered irreparable losses in the latest snowfall, as harvesting season starts after the first fortnight of January, Bhadarwah horticulture development officer Aabid Hussain Tantray said, quoting preliminary information received from the field staff.
Putting the loss suffered by the orchards in the snow-bound areas to nearly 60 per cent, the officer asked the farmers not to let snow accumulate on trees.
It is after several years that Chenab region has witnessed heavy snowfall in November and first fortnight of December and brought cheer to the tourism industry. However, it has turned out to be a bane for the fruit growers with losses incurred due to the early snowfall touching in crore.
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"We tried over best to save our citrus fruit but the heavy snowfall damaged 70 per cent of my orchard. I was in tears and am still in a state of shock to see the heap of unripe lemon, sweet lemons, Oranges and Kinnu lying on the ground," leading fruit grower of Chenab Valley, Sheikh Mohammad Shafi of Bharoa-Bhadarwah said.
He said the fruit growers did not get any support from the government.
"Unlike Kashmir, we are not covered under Prime Minister's crop insurance scheme despite repeated requests in the past," he said.
Surinder Kumar, a resident of Gajoth-Kellar, said his family invested 11 years to grow an orchard and are completely dependent on the income generated from the citrus fruit, mostly sweet lemon.
"The single night of snowfall changed everything as 75 per cent of unripe fruit fell from the trees. We hope the administration will come forward and lend a helping hand to bail us out from this situation," Kumar said.
Another orchardist, Parveen Khan of Gatha village, said the growers spent their day and night in their orchards to save the fruit despite snowfall but the effort proved inadequate.
"We removed snow after every two hours from the citrus trees even during night hours but as ill luck prevailed, we could not save our yield," he said adding his family was hoping a good income from the yield this time.
He appealed the administration to help the fruit growers in the Chenab valley to overcome the losses by announcing immediate relief package.
"It was a horrible sight to see oranges, lemons, and Mousambi scattered everywhere on the snow," he said.
Rural areas of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts of the Chenab region continue to remain into darkness for the past four day as power supply lines got damaged due to the heavy snow, ranging from one feet to over three feet.
While 60 per cent potable water supply has been restored in the Bhaderwah valley, most of the localities are still without water, the officials said.