Spring snow scars apple fruit, trees in HP
A large number of fruit-laden apple trees were either uprooted or their branches broken due to the weight of snow
Widespread rain, intermittent snow and heavy hail caused extensive damage to apple orchards in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.
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.
“The state horticulture department said that a large number of fruit-laden apple trees were either uprooted or their branches broken due to the snowfall.
Unprecedented snow, say horticulturists
“The unprecedented hail and snowfall has caused immense damage to the apple and other fruit crops in the state, particularly in areas above 7,000 ft where orchardists have lost around 1 crore apple boxes. Trees where anti-hail nets were in use were severely damaged. The state and Centre should recognise this as a natural disaster, assess the damage and provide assistance to fruit growers at the earliest,” Lokinder Singh Bisht, president, Progressive Growers’ Association (PGA).
Horticulturists say such heavy snowfall in April is unprecedented. “I have never seen such heavy snowfall in April. The damage to the apple crop will be immense,” says Mahijit Rathore 44, president, Nawar Valley Apple Association.
The ₹60,000 crore apple economy is the mainstay for over 2 lakh farming families in Himachal Pradesh. Apples are mainly grown in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur and a few regions of Chamba , Sirmaur and Lahaul and Spiti.
“Earlier, we suffered because of the drought-like situation.
Now, untimely snow has dealt a severe blow to the apple economy. The government should provide relief to growers,” says former parliamentary secretary Rohit Thakur .
The snow has also damaged other cash crops in Himachal Pradesh. “We have requested the government to provide relief to farmers,” said former state Congress chief and Nadaun legislator Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
Roads blocked, power supply hit
The inclement weather disrupted road transport in the remote regions of Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts.
As many as 423 electricity transformers were damaged due to thunder and lightning in Chamba, Kinnaur and LahaulSpiti districts, while 178 main and lateral roads were blocked on Friday.
According to the state disaster management authority, 140 roads were closed in Lahaul and Spiti district.
Traffic was affected on seven routes in Kullu, nine in Pangi and one in Salooni and five in Bharmour in Chamba district. Power supply was affected by damage to 35 transformers in Pangi, 93 in Pooh, 53 in Kalpa, three in Nichar, six in Kullu, 166 in Lahaul and 67 in Kaza.
Temperature dips across the state
The minimum temperature in Shimla town was 5 degrees Celsius, while it received 32.7mm of rainfall. Kalpa recorded a low of -0.5 degree Celsius.
It received 15cm of snowfall. Keylong was the coldest place in the state with the mercury plummeting to -1.4 degrees Celsius.