GANGTOK, May 4 � The hailstorm that lashed Sikkim on April 27 has caused extensive damage to crops, especially kharif, affecting about 3,000 families, Horticulture and Cash Crops Development department said today.
The department held two consecutive meetings on April 29 and 30 to review the progress of various schemes and modify strategies for development programmes.
It has been decided to immediately provide vegetable seeds and other logistic support to salvage the situation, besides providing UV film to repair the damaged greenhouses (a structure in which temperature and humidity can be controlled for the cultivation or protection of plants), the department stated in a release.
The storm has caused a major setback to the advancement of horticulture, which had emerged as the single most viable option for rural prosperity, it said. � PTI
