Pulwama, May 11: A hailstorm struck several villages in the Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday, causing significant damage to horticultural and agricultural crops.
According to locals, the hailstorm affected areas including Jawahirpora, Dar Gani Gund, and nearby villages in the Aripal tehsil of Tral.
Bilal Ahmad, a resident of Jawahirpora, told Rising Kashmir that the hailstorm hit around 2:30 PM.
“Hailstones fell heavily for a few minutes,” he said, adding that the hailstorm caused severe damage to standing crops including apple, plum, pear, walnut, and various vegetables.
Residents reported that Sunday’s hailstorm was more intense than the previous one that struck the area a few days earlier.
Officials from the Horticulture Department confirmed that a mild to moderate intensity hailstorm affected several villages in Tral, including Aripal, Jawahirpora, and Dar Gani Gund.
“We are preparing an advisory for the affected areas,” the officials said. They recommended spraying affected orchards immediately with a fungicide mixture of Zineb and Hexaconazole at the rate of 125 grams per 100 litres of water.
Additionally, after a two-day gap following the fungicide application, fruit-laden trees should be sprayed with a urea fertilizer solution at the rate of 200 grams per 100 litres of water to aid recovery.
Last Sunday, a similar hailstorm lashed Jawahirpora, Aripal, and Gada Pora villages in Tral, as well as Sedow and Hirpora villages in the Shopian district.
