While Kashmir’s apple trade is facing existential challenge and traders are threatened of huge losses due to constant blockade of Srinagar-Jammu highway, apple growers in parts of south and central Kashmir have suffered too but in a different way. The recent floods destroyed all standing crops and apple. It was not the apples that were destroyed but in most of the cases, the trees got uprooted and orchards devasted. The loss thus is not one time, it will take these apple growers years to rebuild their orchards.
The recent floods left behind death and destruction in Jammu region too. While at the moment, all focus is on apples, and genuinely so, the victims of floods, cloud bursts and other weather vagaries should not be forgotten. Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has already sent teams to assess the damages in both the regions – Jammu as well as Kashmir. The teams conducted on-the-spot inspections of affected areas, reviewed the ongoing relief and rehabilitation measures, and interacted with local authorities to understand the scale of losses. The teams had directed the authorities to compile damage details department-wise and submit the same to the Government of India. The local administration here should gear up for assessment of losses with major focus on agriculture and horticulture. The delaying tactics, that has been constant official attitude here, should be avoided. It is a humanitarian crisis and the sooner the authorities come up with details of damage, department-wise, the faster would be the relief process.
While doing everything possible to get the apple industry out of the present crisis, the process of relief and rehabilitate the flood victims in Kashmir and Jammu should be quickened and central government should come up with a relief package very soon. On its part, the UT administration should also gear up and speed up relief measures. While one should appreciate the UT administration and its all concerned wings for their rescue operation during floods and thus saving human lives, now is the time to ensure that those, whose lives were saved, are able to stand on their feet once again.
The government here, and more than it the people, are eagerly waiting for Central assistance. The UT administration may do its bit, but the damages, both in Kashmir and Jammu are too huge and deserve a huge package from the central government. In Kashmir, the agriculture and the horticulture proceeds are the only thing that run the households of the majority of the people whose orchards and paddy fields were destroyed. They are financially finished and thus need a massive package to once again start their lives afresh. The UT government, and more importantly, GoI have to come to their rescue.