Srinagar: Incessant rains continued to lash Kashmir since Saturday night, sparking crop damage fears among the farming community of the Valley.
The gateway town of Qazigund in south Kashmir`s Anantnag district received 19.4 mm rainfall till 11.30 am while nearby Pahalgam tourist resort recorded 5.2 mm, a MeT office spokesman told a news agency.
He said Kokernag received 4.2 mm followed by 3.3 mm in Srinagar and 1.8 mm in Kupwara district.
More rainfall has been forecast for the next 24 hours across the Valley.
The downpour has resulted in nearly four degrees drop in the maximum temperature in Srinagar, the spokesman said.
The incessant rainfall since last night has triggered concern among farmers as continued downpour can cause damage to paddy crops.
"We are nearing the harvest season of the paddy crop. If the rains continue, the damage can cause severe rice shortage in the Valley," Abdul Rehman, a farmer from Budgam district, said.
Rice is the staple food in Kashmir and nearly 50 per cent of the requirement is met from the local produce.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the traffic department said, the 294-km arterial Srinagar-Jammu highway was open to vehicular traffic despite heavy rainfall at some places.
"Traffic is plying normally on the highway," the spokesman added.
The only road link between the Valley and rest of the country frequently gets blocked due to landslides and shooting stones during rainy season.
PTI
