Srinagar, May 23 -- A hailstorm accompanied by gusty winds lashed parts of the Kashmir plains in the last 24 hours, damaging apple orchards and vegetable crops, even as the upper reaches, including Razdan Pass and Tulail Valley, received fresh snowfall.

The weather activity, triggered by an active western disturbance, also led to rainfall in several plain districts, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and affecting traffic movement on some roads during heavy showers, officials said.

In the wake of the damage, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar announced that a weather-based crop insurance scheme will be rolled out in Jammu and Kashmir within the next two months.

"We have almost finalised a weather-based crop insurance scheme. A c...