Wheat crop flattened by hailstorm in Tarn Taran

Continuous light to moderate rainfall across different parts of the district over the past two days, along with a hailstorm on Sunday night, has left farmers in a state of panic.

Sources in the Meteorological Department said on Monday that the district received between seven and 10 mm of rainfall today. Apart from strong winds, reports of hailstorms have also emerged from several villages.

Satnam Singh Manochahal, a resident of Manochahal Kalan and a farmer leader, said that besides his village, hailstorms were also reported in villages such as Manochahal Khurd, Shahbazpur, Khemkaran and Valtoha.

He said that the wheat crop, which was almost ready for harvesting, has been flattened on the ground due to the hailstorm and strong winds.

Tajinder Singh Rasulpur, a farmer from Rasulpur village, said that the fallen crop would affect the yield and result in smaller grain size. He added that combine harvester operators are likely to demand higher charges from farmers to harvest the lodged crop.

Chief Agriculture Officer Tejbir Singh Bhangu confirmed that hailstorms had occurred in some places and said that details about the extent of the damage were being collected.

Expressing concern over the damage caused by the hailstorm, Satnam Singh Manochahal, leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, demanded that the government immediately conduct a girdawari and provide compensation to farmers.

He said that farmers are yet to be compensated for the losses caused during the floods, and now the hailstorm has further worsened their situation.