Apple crop loss raises fear in HP

Villagers feel wrath of Gods over installion of antihail guns as the reason behind storms damaging crops

SHIMLA: It is Goddess Kali’s wrath. That’s what some apple orchard owners believe after hail this month damaged around 60% of the crop including in areas covered by imported anti-hail guns, each costing ~1.20 crore.

The previous BJP government had installed three anti-hail guns in the Shimla district under a ~3.29-crore centrally-aided project. The machines were imported from an American supplier. As the guns were thought to be effective against hail, some farmer cooperatives in the district installed the imported machines without any government help to protect the crop that is biggest money grosser for the state. Over 1.7 lakh families depend on the apple crop harvested once a year.

This year, their faith in the machines has been shattered.

Villagers believe that the Goddess Kali is annoyed “as attempt is being made to play with nature”. “Goddess Kali told us when she was looking after interests of people why was there a need to do something else,” said Narayan Singh, who was among villagers of Jubbal in Shimla district who went to a local Kali temple after hail destroyed their crop. In the hills of Himachal, an age-old tradition of asking questions to the priest who answers them on behalf of the local deity, still plays out. On Kali’s “direction”, locals have forced government to shut down the anti-hail gun. Ironically, the region has highest literacy rate in the state.

NO IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The state government and the Centre have allowed the guns to operate without any assessment of its impact on the local atmosphere. “These cannons are run by

the horticulture department and we have not studied its impact,” said S S Randhawa, senior science officer at the state’s Centre on Climate Change.

Shimla Meteorological Centre director Manmohan Singh said, “I don’t know whether these machines are successful or not. But, if some waves are generated to disperse cloud, surely there will be no precipitation.”

Two horticulture department officers admitted the guns have failed in some areas. “We have reports that hail pounded apple orchards in Baghi and Ratnari area where the farmers have installed anti-hail gun,” said an officer. Another officer said the guns were “pseudo scientific machines” incapable of preventing formation of hail in clouds.

Principal secretary, horticulture, JC Sharma said there is some technical issue with cannon which they would address.