Walnut Harvest, Human Cost
Srinagar, Sept. 4 -- Every autumn, as Kashmir's walnut trees become laden with fruit, another and far more painful harvest begins-the harvesting of human lives.Walnut harvesting is one of Kashmir's oldest agricultural traditions and an important source of livelihood for thousands of families. Yet behind the economic value of this crop lies a largely ignored occupational hazard. Every year, workers climb tall and often slippery walnut trees using crude traditional methods. Many lose their balance and fall from considerable heights, suffering fatal head injuries, spinal damage, fractures and permanent disabilities.This is not an isolated or unknown problem. A medical study conducted in Kashmir found that 94 per cent of tree-fall cases occur...
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