Srinagar, Jun 5 (JKNS): Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone on Friday rushed to the hailstorm-ravaged villages of Upper Rajwar in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, describing the devastation as “massive” and urging the government to immediately launch relief and rehabilitation measures.
During his visit to Ahgam, Rajpora, Nizama and Zachaldara, Lone said farmers had suffered losses worth crores of rupees and expressed concern over the absence of government officials in the affected areas hours after the natural calamity struck.
Interacting with affected residents and farmers, as per news agency JKNS, Lone described the devastation as “massive” and appealed to the government to immediately visit the affected areas and initiate relief measures for those who have suffered extensive losses.
“I rushed here the moment I heard about the hailstorm. The destruction is enormous and has affected the entire Upper Rajwar belt. Farmers have suffered losses running into crores of rupees. This is a natural calamity and the government must step in with whatever relief is possible so that these families receive some respite,” he said.
Expressing concern over the absence of officials in the affected villages hours after the disaster, Lone said it was shocking that no member of the administration had reached the ground to assess the situation.
“It is surprising that even after several hours, no government official has visited these areas. We came here and everyone knew about the situation, yet nobody from the official machinery turned up. It appears as though these people have been left to fend for themselves,” he remarked.
Highlighting the severity of the hailstorm, MLA Handwara pointed to the unusually large hailstones that continued to remain on the ground hours after the rainfall had stopped.
“The hailstones were extraordinarily large. Even after nearly five hours, they remained intact. One can only imagine how destructive they were when they actually fell. The damage to orchards and agricultural land is immense,” he said.
Lone said the true scale of destruction may not be immediately visible to the untrained eye, but farmers understand the extent of the losses.
“I saw leaves torn apart and punctured by the hail. Entire orchards have been battered. Anyone familiar with farming can clearly see that crops and fruit-bearing trees have suffered extensive damage,” he added.
Calling for a compassionate approach towards the affected population, the Handwara MLA urged the administration to consider waiving loans, fees and other liabilities wherever possible.
“These people deserve every possible concession. The government should explore loan waivers and other relief measures to help families recover from this disaster,” he said.
Responding to a question on crop insurance, Lone stressed the importance of establishing an effective insurance mechanism for farmers while reiterating his criticism of the administration’s response.
“The need for crop insurance is undeniable. Farmers require protection against such calamities. However, what is deeply concerning at this moment is the complete absence of the government on the ground when people need assistance the most,” he said.
Lone said he would take up the matter directly with the administration and seek answers regarding the delayed response to the disaster.
“Such widespread damage has occurred, yet no one has arrived to assess the losses. We will now approach the administration directly and ask why the affected people have been left without immediate official support,” Sajad said. (JKNS)
