Rain, gale flatten crop in Malwa region

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 7

The untimely rain, coupled with high velocity winds, flattened wheat in the southern Malwa region on Tuesday night. The wind speed in Bathinda was recorded at 92.6 km per hour. Trees and electricity poles were uprooted at many places, disrupting the power supply and telecom services.

Farmers are a worried lot as the meteorological department has predicted more rain for the next two days. “There are still chances of light rain/thundershowers along with thunderstorm and lighting accompanied with gusty winds at isolated places in next 24-36 hours in the region,” said Raj Kumar of the MeT department.

In Bathinda and Mansa damage to the wheat crop has been reported from some places. Khushpreet Singh, a Gobindpura village farmer, said: “The high velocity winds flattened the standing wheat and mustard crop”. Jagtar Singh, another farmer from Kotfatta village also witnessed the flattening of crop on a sizable chunk of his 12 acres.

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) state secretary Shingara Singh Mann said the harvest would be delayed and farmers would have to shell out more due the flattening of crop.

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said: “The government should immediately order girdawari and announce compensation.” SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today visited fields at Ghudda village in Bathinda district. He also sought relief for the affected farmers.