Whether winters have started arriving early, whether predictions and estimates about the vagaries of weather are in most of the cases turning wrong despite there being latest technology available, whether we need to reshape and change our strategies accordingly, all these issues are quite different from the ”mood” of nature which one cannot precisely predict let alone alter it in any way. Conservatively speaking, nature behaving somewhat indignantly almost everywhere in the world is largely a reaction to blind race for fast economic development which in the process must invade and heavily milk the natural resources and cause disequilibrium to natural equations related to eco-system, environment and other cosmic changes. A hailstorm, for example, may be a momentary pleasure to feel and watch and a bit of amusement especially when the size of the hail drop competes with that of a walnut, the fact of the matter , however, is that it devastates crops deadlier than an invasion of locust swarm, can prove deadly to livestock and even can smash car windshields, damage homes and injure people. We witnessed the horrors of a hailstorm preceded and followed by untimely torrential rains a few days back. It caused considerable damage to crops in Jammu region. There was a snowfall in Kashmir valley also even when crops like apple etc had not been fully harvested. We, at the outset, commend the decision of the UT Government of Jammu and Kashmir in declaring recent heavy rains, hailstorm and snow affecting the crops as a natural calamity and UT specific disaster. Kharif and Rabi crops are damaged to a larger extent, the worst being Basmati paddy crops, vegetables and fruit especially apple crops .Not only that, even floriculture in Jammu region too is affected, the popular marigold flowers much in demand for religious functions, festivals etc too are vastly affected.The worst hit are districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Kishtwar etc in Jammu region and Kulgam, Shopian districts in Kashmir region. However, Government’s decision would surely generate hopes in the farmers whose crops have been damaged and expectations that the compensation related formalities would be speedily completed so as to receive the compensation at an early date. Jammu Basmati, a cash crop, a speciality and an item of export from Jammu, the standing crops of which are reported to be damaged up to 75 percent, deserve to be compensated accordingly. The nitty-gritty of the entire gamut of compensation payable to affected farmers having so far not been made known as perhaps the administration may still be in the process of calculating the amount of loss suffered by the farmers, the process however demanding an expeditious approach. However, it is presumed that most of the farmers might have been beneficiaries under ”Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna” and it is expected that the formalities about the claim papers and their processing too shall be expedited so as to compensate them to a lager extent the loss suffered due to the wrath of the nature. There must be constituted an Expert Committee, if one so far has not been constituted, to determine the quantum of compensation per Kanal of crops of different nature damaged, looking to the demand of the farmers in this respect. Farmers may be needing fertilizers, seeds and other input for Rabi crops for which adequate subsidy may be released in their favour so that a bumper Rabi crop may to a larger extent compensate the farmers for the damage to the Kharif crops due to untimely rains and devastating hailstorm. The UT Government is expected to live up to its promise and commitment to work for the betterment of the farming community so that not only do the ones having suffered get reasonable compensation for the losses but also to ensure that the farm incomes increase. The UT having been declared as ”Agricultural Export Zone” for apples and walnuts and more products likely to be included therein shortly does demonstrate the will of the Government towards developing and supporting agriculture but at the moment, those farmers who suffered losses in Jammu and Kashmir regions need to be compensated and helped at an early date
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