Shopian: Doctors have advised orchardists to take precautionary measures such as wearing masks, gowns, gloves and use of head cover during spraying and also avoid going in groups to fields in wake of Covid-19 outbreak. Dr Showkat Ahmad, who is assistant professor at government medical College Anantnag, told Kashmir Reader that it is important for orchardists to avoid any kind of allergy caused by fungicides or any other spray used in orchards to contain disease in trees. “People must avoid crowding, only two or three people should go for spraying and if they have to cover a large patch of land, they should work in shifts,” he said. Dr Showkat added that if people were avoiding safety gears during sprays, this time they must not. He said that those people who already have ailments, are prone to allergies and other symptoms of flu should avoid going to orchards for spraying. “The fungicide sprays according to doctors leads to flues, allergies and sometimes strokes and many of them needs immediate medical assistance and that should be avoided at this time when health care set-up is busy,” he informed. Dr Showkat said that it is inevitable to avoid sprays which can lead to heavier losses. Senior SKAUST scientist, Dr Tariq Rasool, who is posted at KVK Balpora Shopian, told Kashmir Reader that it is a critical stage for fruit growing and sprays can’t be avoided. “Orchardists must take precautionary measure while going for sprays,” he said. According to official figures, half of the Kashmir population is directly dependent on the horticulture sector for livelihood. Around 3.34 lac hectares of Kashmir land is under horticulture cultivation. Director Horticulture Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat couldn’t be reached despite repeated attempts of phones calls and text messages

Raashid Hassan