Event sponsored by Mumbai start-up entrepreneur

Pampore: A man from Kerala has travelled to the Saffron town of Pampore area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district with a mission to secure the safe climbing of walnut trees by local harvesters.
Shameer Karimba is in Konibal village of Pampore where he is giving training to local walnut harvesters and other growers on how they can ensure their safety while climbing and beating tall walnut trees.
Apart from walnut trees, Shameer also demonstrated before growers how they can use the equipment for climbing tall poplar trees. He is quite famous in Kerala for rescuing many people there during different operations.
Talking to Kashmir Reader Shameer said he was contacted by a lady from Mumbai, Harsha Kotecha, after she watched one of his rescue videos available on YouTube.
He revealed that Harsha informed him that around 40 people either die or suffer fractures every year in Kashmir after falling from walnut trees.
“She asked me to train the local walnut harvesters on safe climbing of tall walnut trees,” Shameer said, adding that he agreed to her request and that these days he is in south Kashmir.
“This is the first time in Kashmir that I am training local harvesters and farmers for safe climbing,” he said, adding that the training is free.
“I am here to help farmers not to make money,” Shameer said, adding that he has devised a safety kit which makes climbing tall trees easy and secure.
He said there is no risk of falling after the equipment is used by harvesters.
Harsha Kotecha is also actively involved with various innovators groups in Kashmir.
Junaid Ahmad, a walnut beater from Banihal, who is working in Pampore these days, is one of the beneficiaries of the training.
“I found this training very useful. I used the equipment for climbing and it eliminates chances of accidental fall from the tall trees,” he told Kashmir Reader, adding that it will take him 5 to 6 days to get used to this safety kit.
Talking to Kashmir Reader, Harsha Kotecha, a start-up entrepreneur from Mumbai, narrated that she was moved by the issue of unwanted deaths of walnut harvesters year.
Harsha said she researched for a solution and found out about the practices and processes of safe tree climbing of Shameer Karimba from Palakkad, Kerala and organised, and coordinated this series of training for walnut harvesters in Kashmir.
Even if one harvester’s life is saved, this programme is successful, she said, adding, “Sponsoring this training event is a privilege”.
Qayoom Naik, from the Dooru area of Anantnag, is one such boy with whom she is in contact.
Qayoom helped in organising the event after contacting various growers, harvesters and farmers in the Konibal area.
After Pampore, the event will be extended to Anantnag, Shopian and the frontier district of Kupwara.

BILAL HABIB