Srinagar, Sep 10: At least five walnut harvesters have died in separate tree-fall incidents across Kashmir since the harvesting season began in August, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by seasonal workers who climb towering traditional walnut trees without protective safety equipment.
The latest tragedy occurred in Jaibal Lammer area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, where 46-year-old Mukhtar Ahmad Najar, son of Ghulam Nabi Najar, died after falling from a walnut tree while plucking walnuts.
Najar sustained serious injuries in the fall and was shifted to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
His death comes amid a series of similar incidents reported from different parts of the Valley during the ongoing walnut harvesting season.
Mohammad Maqbool Bhat of Damjan, Qazigund, was among those killed after falling from a walnut tree. Bhat was reportedly the sole breadwinner of his family and is survived by two young children.
In Laribal, Tral, Ghulam Mohammad Ganai died after falling while threshing walnuts. He was shifted to SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
In north Kashmir’s Uri, 35-year-old Ashiq Hussain of Pawadan village died after falling from a walnut tree while threshing walnuts.
Another worker, Hilal Ahmad Mir of Puchal, Pulwama, also died after sustaining serious injuries in a fall during walnut harvesting.
Walnut harvesting in Kashmir remains heavily dependent on traditional methods. Workers climb tall trees, move from one branch to another and use long sticks to knock walnuts from the branches.
But the absence of safety harnesses, ropes, helmets and other protective equipment leaves workers vulnerable to fatal falls.
Labourers involved in the harvest say the economics of the short season makes it difficult for them to purchase safety equipment themselves.
Gulzar Ahmad, who has been working as a walnut-harvesting labourer for the past decade, said the harvesting season generally lasts for only about a month.
“I have been working as a labourer and harvesting walnuts during the walnut season for the last ten years,” Ahmad said.
“The walnut harvesting season starts around August 20 and continues until September 20. It is only a one-month season during which some labourers get an opportunity to work. We earn a small amount of money during this period, and it is not possible for every labourer to purchase safety equipment,” he said.
Ahmad said the height of traditional walnut trees makes harvesting particularly dangerous.
“Workers have to move from one branch to another and can lose their balance while working. Some sustain serious injuries, while others lose their lives,” he said.
With fatalities being reported during the harvesting season, workers are calling for intervention by the Horticulture Department Kashmir.
Ahmad said the department should identify workers who are regularly engaged in walnut harvesting, provide them with basic training and ensure access to protective equipment.
The deaths have underscored a wider safety concern surrounding one of Kashmir’s important seasonal activities. For families dependent on the short walnut harvest for their livelihood, the season has increasingly become a period of both opportunity and danger.
