Rains lash parts of Himachal, damage to wheat crop feared

Several areas of Himachal Pradesh were lashed by moderate to heavy rains, causing further fall in temperature.
According to the MeT department, Bhandal was wettest in the region with 66 mm rains, while Kalatop recorded 60 mm, followed by Dalhousie 52 mm, Saluni 50 mm, Manali 46 mm, Tissa 44 mm, Chamba 42 mm, Tinder 38 mm, Solan 34.5 mm, Bharmaur 34 mm, Palampur 33 mm, Baldwara 32 mm, Ghamroor and Jubbal 31 mm, Bajaura 28 mm, Bhuntar 26 mm, Sundernagar 23.4 mm, Kalpa 22mm and Shimla 20.2 mm.
The maximum temperature dropped marginally to stay at 32.8 degree Celsius in Una, 28.6 degree in Dharamsala and 26.8 degree in Kangra, followed by Sundernagar 24.6 degree, Nahan 23.8 degree, Solan 21.5 degree, Shimla and Bhunter 19.6 degree and Kalpa 9.2 degree C.

The tribal areas received mild snowfall and Keylong and Kalpa recorded minimum temperature at 5 degree, three degrees below normal while Manali and Shimla recorded minimum temperature at 7 degree and 8 degree, five notches below normal.
The local MeT office has predicted rains or thunderstorm at isolated places during the next 48 hours.
The rains and thunderstorm might have damaged wheat crop in mid-hills, where either the crops are lying in the fields after harvesting or are ripe for harvesting.
"We have fixed production target of 6.4 lakh tonnes for the current season and wheat has been sown over 3.50 lakh hectares of which 1.50 hectare falls in mid-hills," Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Shanan said.

The filed officers have been asked to assess the damage to crop and send a report, he said.