SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary Monday made a firsthand assessment of damages that last week's snowfall caused the saffron crop in the outskirts of the district. He visited the affected saffron fields in several villages and met famers whose crop was damaged in the snowfall. He sought details from constituted teams assessing the crop damages instructing them for thorough assessments thereof.
Speaking on the occasion the DC said teams comprising officers from concerned departments including Revenue, Horticulture, Agriculture and Rural Development are assessing the damages saffron crops suffered in last week's snowfall in the district. He said preliminary assessment of damages was undertaken a day after snowfall on November 8 adding that the current exercise includes field-to-field assessment to measure actual losses.
It was informed that interdepartmental teams constituted for the purpose have so far assessed damages to more than 800 hectares of saffron crop adding that inspections are going on as of present. It is notable saffron fields in Panthachowk tehsil of the district suffered major losses this year with only one against four harvests seen before snowfall. Dr Shahid while interacting with them assured the affected farmers of adequate and earliest compensation for their losses.