Rains lash many parts of Pb, Hry, farmers worried

Many parts of Punjab and Haryana continued to be lashed by rains on Saturday adding to the woes of the farmers in the two agrarian states who fear that the prolonged wet spell could cause more damage to crops.

Rainfall has occurred for the last three says in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.

Several places in the two states including Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Patiala in Punjab and Panchkula, Ambala, and Karnald in Haryana received showers between 5:30 pm on Friday and 8:30 am on Saturday, the official said.

The maximum temperature hovered 2-5 degrees below normal in the two states settling in the range of 21-24 degrees Celsius at most places.

Untimely widespread rains accompanied by hailstorm and strong winds have flattened wheat crop in different places in Punjab with Fazilka district being the worst hit, officials have said.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has demanded that the government should give compensation for crop damage to the farmers as soon as possible.

Rain has also flattened wheat crop in many areas of Yamunanagar, Karnal and Kurukshetra districts in Haryana.

Jarnail Singh, a farmer of village Chaneti in Yamunanagar, said unseasonal rains and hailstorm have caused extensive damage to the wheat and many other crops.

Rajesh Kumar of Radauri village said the rain was harmful for mustard and vegetable crops as well.

The farmers have demanded adequate compensation from the government.

Speaking at a public rally in Israna in Panipat on Friday, Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautalahad said that the concerned Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to assess the loss.