Hailstorm, rain cause damage to apple orchards in Himachal
SHIMLA: Hailstorm, thunderstorm followed by rain in the upper areas of Himachal caused extensive damage to fruit trees, particularly apple, which were in the blooming stage.
The state department of agriculture and horticulture has instructed field officials to assess the damage to cash crops. The worst-affected orchards are in Kumarsain, Kharapathar, Jubbal, Rohru and Chopal in Shimla district. It snowed in the remote Hango valley of the tribal Kinnaur district.
“There are three to four inches of snow in Ropa and Hango valley of Kinnaur. Snow during the spring season is rare. It damaged apple orchards in Kinnaur,” said Ram Krishna Negi, a resident of Giabong Valley.
“Hail has damaged fruit trees in a few pockets of Rohru and Narkanda. Hailstorms have damaged the fruit and flowers in the upper elevations. The hailstorm in the Narkanda area has damaged the flowers of apples. As the weather forecast shows rain for two more days, it might hamper the pollination and fruit set process for a considerable amount in the orchards of higher elevation,” said Ashutosh Chauhan, a progressive grower.
Widespread rainfall in Himachal Pradesh amid an orange alert disrupted normal life while hailstorms caused extensive damage to the fruit crops in Shimla and other fruit-growing areas. An avalanche at Jakshang nullah near the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, in the Lahaul-Spiti district blocked the flow of the river for a while. However, no loss of life has been reported.
The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment has issued an avalanche alert in Lahaul-Spiti and other high-altitude areas after the tribal regions experienced fresh snowfall.
The Lahaul-Spiti police urged tourists and locals to avoid travelling to avalanche-prone areas.
Torrential rains in Chamba district for the last two days have wreaked havoc. There are reports of damage to several vehicles due to a landslide in the Sapri locality of Chamba town.
About a dozen roads in the district, including the Pathankot-Bharmour highway, have been blocked.
An avalanche in Findpar nullah in the tribal Pangi subdivision destroyed a drinking water supply source causing a scarcity of water for 80 families in the Findpar village.
In the lower region, the heavy rains have damaged the wheat crop and main fruit crops like mango and litchi.
Director of Shimla MeT centre Surender Paul said that Kalpa in Kinnaur experienced the highest 46.6mm rainfall, followed by 42mm in Sarahan, and 36mm each in Chamba and Dalhousie, respectively.
Theog MLA Kuldeep Rathore has urged the state government to give proper compensation to the apple growers.