Kulgam, Sept 08: The recent floods and heavy rainfall have inundated vast stretches of farmland across south Kashmir and parts of Jammu, causing extensive damage to crops and leaving farmers distressed.
In Kulgam district, the worst-hit in south Kashmir, maize, paddy, and vegetables suffered massive losses. According to the official assessment, maize crops spread over 27.02 hectares, with an expected production of 1,080 quintals, were damaged. The losses have been estimated at Rs 0.32 crore.
Similarly, paddy, which was due for harvest within a month, was hit severely. Nearly 960 hectares of paddy fields were affected, with an expected yield of about 57,600 quintals. The losses in this sector have been pegged at over Rs 20 crore.
Vegetables, either ready for harvest or recently planted, were also devastated. Spread across 107 hectares, nearly 21,400 quintals of produce were lost, causing damage worth over Rs 5 crore in a single district.
Chief Agriculture Officer Kulgam, Farooq Ahmad Reshi, said the worst-hit areas were in Tehsil Qaimoh around Nallah Veshow, affecting at least 28 villages. Along with the Director Agriculture, he visited Kharpora, Qaimoh, Nowpora, and other villages to assess the losses.
In Anantnag, the damage has been mainly around Jhelum and Aripath Nallahs, including Bangidar, where over 326 kanals of vegetables were damaged.
Chief Agriculture Officer Anantnag, Shahnawaz Ahmad, said around 2,700 hectares of paddy, maize, and vegetables were affected. He added that Arwani and Zirpara zones suffered the most.
Farmers across Kulgam expressed their anguish. Mudasir Ahmad, a farmer from Wanigund, a vegetable-rich village, said their carrot crop was ready for harvest when floods struck.
He said, “Every September, dozens of vehicles loaded with carrots leave our village for Anantnag market. This year, most of the crop is lost in the inundated fields.”
The officer added, “Wanigund has over 200 families dependent on vegetable farming. Almost all have lost their livelihood. The government must compensate us so that we can recover and continue farming.”
In September, Kashmir’s vegetable fields usually yield a mix of late-summer and early-winter crops, including carrot, radish, turnip, spinach, knol-khol, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, capsicum, brinjal, cucumber, pumpkin, and leafy greens like haak. With vast fields waterlogged, farmers now face grim uncertainty.
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Prof. Sameera Qayoom, Professor and Head of Agrometeorology at SKUAST-K, said the recent floods and heavy rains have affected lakhs of families connected to agriculture and horticulture in Kashmir. Nearly 13 lakh families are involved in farming, while over 7 lakh are linked to horticulture, and many have suffered major losses as fields and orchards were inundated.
She said that cloudbursts and flash floods result from a combination of global and local factors. Global drivers include climate change, erratic rainfall, and glacial melt, while local causes involve deforestation, wetland loss, urbanisation, and poor drainage. These together can raise water levels rapidly, leading to overflowing rivers and submerged farmland.
Standing crops, especially rice fields and orchards, were particularly affected. Waterlogging during the grain ripening and harvesting stages can spoil crops, while uprooted trees or broken branches may cause permanent losses. Maize and vegetables were also damaged in areas with insufficient irrigation and flood protection.
The sowing of the next Rabi crop may be delayed until the soil dries and becomes workable. Farmers are advised to follow agro-advisories issued by the Division of Agrometeorology, SKUAST-K, every Tuesday and Friday for better harvests.
Dr Arshid Ahmad Sofi, Assistant Professor, Chest Medicine Department, GMC Anantnag, said there are high chances of outbreaks of several waterborne infectious diseases after floods, including hepatitis A and E, acute gastroenteritis, enteric fever, and cholera.
“Precautions like proper washing of vegetables and fruits before consumption, boiling drinking water, and maintaining personal hygiene can prevent such conditions to a great extent,” he said.
