Hakeem seeks relief for Kashmir orchardists affected by windstorm

Srinagar, May 19: In the wake of the windstorm that ravaged large parts of the Kashmir Valley, People’s Democratic Front (PDF) President Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen has appealed to the government to declare the calamity a national disaster, citing unprecedented damage to both livelihoods and lives.
Terming the situation as “an economic and humanitarian catastrophe of grave proportions”, Yaseen said over 80 per cent of apple orchards—the backbone of Kashmir’s rural economy—stand destroyed, with thousands of families staring at financial ruin.
“This is not merely a weather event—it is a disaster of a national scale. Traditional survey methods will only deepen despair. The government must act swiftly, decisively, and compassionately,” he said in an urgent statement issued here.
Yaseen said this is the time to abandon red tape and inertia. “This devastation demands fast-track assessments, direct compensation, and a comprehensive special relief package. Growers have lost hope. Their saplings, their trees, their years of labour—all lie shattered. If this is not declared a national disaster, what is?” he asked.
The former minister highlighted the plight of ordinary families, saying hundreds of residential houses across the Valley have suffered serious structural damage.
He urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally approach Union Home Minister Amit Shah and present a joint memorandum urging the Centre to declare the event a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act.
“This is not a political moment—it is a moment of truth for governance. The people of Kashmir need united leadership, not procedural apathy,” he said.