Severe Hailstorm Devastates Orchards and Crops in Kulgam’s Noorabad Region

KULGAM,April 6, 2026
A powerful and sudden hailstorm swept through the Noorabad sub-division of Kulgam district today, leaving a trail of destruction across several agricultural hubs, including Manzgam, Nihama, Rambhama, Kokharhama, and D.H. Pora. The intense weather event caused widespread damage to both seasonal vegetable crops and the region’s vital horticulture sector.

Local farmers reported that the hailstones were particularly destructive to fruit-bearing trees, striking at a critical stage of the growth cycle when orchards are most vulnerable.

This sudden natural calamity has sparked deep anxiety among the local farming community, who fear that the season’s yield has been irreparably compromised, potentially leading to massive financial instability for hundreds of households.
In the aftermath of the storm, residents and local agricultural unions have issued an urgent appeal to the district administration and the Department of Horticulture to intervene.

They are calling for the immediate deployment of assessment teams to survey the affected villages and quantify the extent of the horticultural and agricultural ruin.

As the mainstay of the local economy hangs in the balance, the affected growers are demanding a comprehensive relief package and timely compensation to mitigate the impact of the loss.

The administration has been urged to expedite the damage evaluation process to provide much-needed support to those whose livelihoods have been shattered by the unseasonal weather.