Srinagar- When the heavy snowfall began blanketing central Kashmir last week, Altaf Hussain Sheikh was fast asleep at his home in Beerwah Pethae Zanigam. It was his mother who first sensed the danger.
“My mother woke us up and said everything was covered in snow ,” Altaf recalled. “ We rushed out with our neighbours to save the fish, but everything had vanished.”
By the time the snow eased, Altaf’s trout farm, located along the Lar canal, about 30 kilometres from Budgam town, had been completely destroyed. With no storage facilities and no means to save the dying fish, the family distributed what they could among villagers.
“I have suffered a total loss of more than one lakh rupees,” Altaf said.
For Altaf, the loss is particularly painful given his long and troubled journey in trout farming. He first started his farm in 2012, but was forced to shut it down in 2014 after people used bleaching powder in nearby waters to illegally catch fish, killing his stock.
“Even back then, no support was given by the fisheries department,” he said.
After nearly a decade, Altaf restarted the farm in 2024, confident that his experience and familiarity with Kashmir’s winters would help him manage the risks. But this winter proved different.
“We are used to snow, but not this kind of snow,” he said. “There was more than three feet of snowfall.”
The fish he lost were more than a year old, weighing between 400 and 500 grams. “The total stock was around two quintals,” he said. Disillusioned by past experiences, Altaf added, “I haven’t even consulted the department this time. I don’t trust them.”
Altaf’s story reflects the plight of several trout farmers across Budgam district who have suffered severe losses due to the unprecedented snowfall.
In Gutipora Arigam, Fayaz Ahmed, who has been in the trout farming business for around one and a half years, lost approximately 18,000 trout fish.
“This was the stage where I was hoping to recover my investment,” Fayaz said. “Instead, everything has been wiped out.”
Another farmer, Ghulam Muhammad from Gutlipora along the Azgi Canal Road, has been running a trout farm for the past five to six years. He estimates his losses at 20 to 25 quintals of fish, worth between ₹10 to ₹15 lakh.
“The fish were around 250 grams and we were waiting till March for them to reach 300 grams,” Ghulam Muhammad said. “But then it snowed heavily and the entire stock died.”
Although officials from the fisheries department visited his farm after the incident, Ghulam Muhammad remains pessimistic about any relief. “They came and saw the damage,” he said, “but I have no hope of receiving any compensation.”
Trout farming has emerged as a promising livelihood option in Budgam, particularly in canal-fed areas with cold-water conditions. However, the recent losses have exposed how vulnerable small-scale farmers remain to extreme weather events and a lack of institutional support.
Responding to the situation, the Fisheries Department has acknowledged the damage caused by the snowfall. Speaking to Kashmir Observer, an official from the department said that teams have been dispatched to assess the losses.
“Teams have been sent to assess the damage on the ground, and a report has been forwarded to the Directorate of Fisheries as well as the district administration,” the official said.
He added that the department is exploring ways to assist the affected farmers. “Around 11 trout farms in Budgam district have witnessed losses. We are looking forward to helping the distressed farmers, and possible assistance will be provided to them,” the official said.
For farmers like Altaf Hussain Sheikh, however, hope remains fragile. Standing beside his snow-covered ponds, he summed up the despair shared by many trout growers in the district: “We put everything we have into these farms. When disaster strikes, we are left alone to bear it.
