First plentiful rain cheers residents, farmers

Amritsar, August 1
Nearly 48 mm rainfall in the district during the last 18 hours has not only cheered city dwellers as they got a respite from the hot and humid conditions, but also the agrarian community as they stated that showers washed egg nests of insects and pests thriving on plants and reduced the requirement for chemical spray.
The rainfall, which started during the wee hours, continued intermittently till afternoon. While the sky remained cloudy throughout the day, a substantial decrease in the temperature was also recorded. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 30°C on Thursday.
Gurnam Singh, a farmer said, “An immediate benefit of the showers is that farmers do not have to use tubewells to irrigate their fields.” He said the duration of power cuts was less as the demand for electricity remained low due to rain and drop in temperature.
Farmers said problem of pests on crops increased during hot and humid conditions as these were conducive for their growth. However, with moderate rain, agriculturists hoped that eggs of inspects and pests would fall from plants and not be able to survive. City residents seemed to enjoy the pleasant weather as was evident from the huge rush on roads. Traffic jams due to increased use of four-wheelers were witnessed in several areas of the city. “This is the first plentiful rain of the season. It gives us a reason to celebrate,” said Hemant, a university student. — TNS