Widespread rains lash Punjab and Haryana, causes crop damage

Widespread rainfall accompanied by high-velocity winds lashed vast swathes of Punjab and Haryana Wednesday, causing damage to crops.

The maximum temperatures dropped by several notches after the rains, Meteorological (MeT) Department officials here said.

Rains also lashed parts of the two states on Tuesday.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, was also lashed by rains during the day.

The day temperatures Wednesday settled in the range of 23-26 degrees Celsius at most places in the two states and Chandigarh, hovering eight to eleven notches below the normal limits, the officials said.

The change in weather was caused by a Western Disturbance, weather officials here said.

There was also report of hailstorm lashing few places in the two states.

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a special 'girdawari' or revenue survey for the assessment of crop loss resulting from the untimely rainfall and high-velocity winds in the state.

Expressing concern over the crop losses, the Punjab chief minister ordered urgent steps to ascertain the extent of the damage to crops so that due compensation could be awarded to the affected farmers at the earliest.

In his directive to the concern departments and officials, the chief minister asked them to commence, without delay, the process of conducting special 'girdawari' for damage assessment due to weather disruptions, an official spokesperson said.

He said the chief minister has directed that the assessment be undertaken and completed on priority.

In neighbouring Haryana, Finance and Revenue Minister Abhimanyu said Wednesday that the Revenue Department has been asked to immediately prepare a report on the loss caused to crops due to untimely rains, hailstorm and high-velocity winds.

Earlier during the day, opposition parties in Punjab and Haryana had demanded that the government order special 'girdawari' to assess crop loss following untimely rains