AIP’s Showkat Pandit Demands Compensation for Farmers Hit by Hailstorms in Kashmir

Srinagar: Former BDC Chairman and senior Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) leader, Showkat Hassan Pandith, on Tuesday urged the government to provide compensation to farmers whose crops have suffered extensive damage due to repeated hailstorms across the Kashmir Valley.

In a statement to Alfaaz – The Words, Pandit said that farmers across the region were hopeful for a good harvest this year, particularly of apples, but ongoing hailstorms have caused widespread destruction. “These hailstorms have wreaked havoc on the apple orchards. It is a devastating blow to the farming community, who were already grappling with previous losses,” he said.

Pandith emphasized the need for both immediate compensation and long-term crop insurance for farmers in Jammu and Kashmir. “Year after year, farmers are pushed into distress due to weather-related calamities. Most of them have taken loans with the hope of a decent yield. It is now the government’s responsibility to stand by them,” he said.

Calling the situation “an ongoing crisis,” Pandith noted that successive years of hailstorm damage have left many growers struggling financially. “Their hard work deserves recognition and support. This suffering must not go unaddressed,” he added.