Marhama Residents Demand Dewatering Of Apple Orchards

ANANTNAG: The residents of the Marhama village in Sangam hamlet of Anantnag district have demanded de-watering in their orchards following heavy rainfall last week.

The residents said that due to heavy rain on Saturday last week, the water flowing from hundreds of kanals of land has submerged around 20 to 30 kanals of orchards located at the lower end of the field.

"At present the water level in the orchards is above stem level due to which roots of our orchard can get damaged," residents said.

Mohammed Ashraf Reshie, one of the orchardist, told KNO that they had around 1600 apple crates lying in the orchard which got completely inundated following the incessant rainfall. "When we visited the orchards next day, apples were floating in the water," Reshie said. Reshie said that there is damage of around Rs 20 lakh to them alone.

"If the rain water continues to remain in our orchards for few more days then damage will be in crores," he said. "We even tried boats to collect the apples, but it didn't help."

"We can bear the damage of the apples this year but if water continues to remain in our orchards, we will loose our orchards on which we have worked for decades," another grower said.

The growers requested concerned higher ups to look into the matter at an earliest and send de watering pumps to save them from further losses. "We also want a proper drainage system at the place so that such a situation won't occur again," they said.