Showers bring respite from summer heat

Amritsar, June 7

In a much-needed respite for city residents sweltering from power cuts amid the searing summer heat, Amritsar is finally seeing a dip in the temperature owing to showers. The showers have also brought glad tidings for tillers, particularly those who have used the direct seeded rice (DSR) method to sow the paddy crop.

The farmers stated that while the manual planting of paddy is allowed only after June 19, the government has permitted the sowing of crops through the direct seeding technique. Showers aid the germination of the seed as it adds to the moisture content in the soil.

The government has been advocating for the use of the DSR technique of paddy cultivation, as it consumes less water than the traditional method of manual planting of seedlings. Harman Singh Chohan, a vegetable grower, said, “Most of the vegetable crops require irrigation twice a week as the veggies otherwise die due to heat. Thanks to the showers, crops would not need irrigation for the next two to three days.” Singh noted that the water table going down has hastened the process of infiltration.

Cloudy skies are on the cards in the city for the next few days.