Dry spell, lack of irrigation facilities worry Shopian’s apple growers

Shopian, July 26: The ongoing dry spell has left thousands of apple cultivators in south Kashmir’s Shopian district distraught.

Amidst an intense heat wave, the anxious farmers from multiple apple-producing villages of the district are scrambling to irrigate their farms using water pumps.

However, many farmers from the upper reaches of the district said that they were unable to irrigate their farms in the absence of water in the irrigation canals.

Muzaffar Ahmad, an apple grower from the Shadab Karewa area, said that the irrigation canal passing in the area did not have enough water to irrigate their farms.

“The concerned department is insensitive towards the issue. The officials have failed to maintain the water supply in the canal,” he said.

Ahmad said that the main water source had enough water, but it did not reach their orchards.

He said that the farms located in Bhat Mohalla, Darzi Mohalla, Khan Mohalla, Tulsi Mohalla, and Mir Mohalla were not receiving adequate irrigation.

The farmers said that the irrigation facility only served the upper portion of the area while the orchards located at the tail-end areas were left without water.

“The scorching heat has withered the leaves of many orchards in the area,” they said.

Muhammad Ashraf Wani, former president of Fruit Mandi Shopian and a prominent apple orchardist, said that if the dry spell continued, it would result in significant fruit drop.

He said that the dry spell could also impact the colour and development of the fruit.

“Currently the impact is visible in the orchards in Karewa land,” Wani said.