J&K floods: 90% paddy crops damaged, apple orchards under water
Heavy rains have flooded large parts of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving paddy fields and apple orchards underwater.
Farmers like Muzaffar Ahmad from Pahoo village say they've lost up to 90% of their paddy crops.
In total, over 3,000 hectares of paddy have suffered more than 33% damage, with big losses reported in Kulgam and the RS Pura-Bishan areas—especially for prized Basmati rice.
Apples not covered by crop insurance
The floods haven't spared apple growers either. Orchards near riverbanks in Pulwama, Kulgam, and Shopian have been swept away, raising worries about uprooted trees and new crop diseases.
To make things tougher, apples aren't covered by any government crop insurance scheme.
The silver lining: weather is expected to improve from Thursday (September 4), which should help water levels go down and bring some relief to affected communities.