GUJRANWALA: Torrential rain and hailstorm in parts of Punjab on Saturday night and Sunday damaged the wheat crop on a large scale.

The rain started on Saturday night and continued intermittently on Sunday, damaging the wheat crop in Gujranwala’s rural areas especially Ahmad Nagar Klaske, Alipur Chattha, Ghakkar Mandi, Rahwali, Eminabad, Wazirabad, Qila Deedar Singh and Kamoki.

Farmers said wheat spreading over hundreds of acres had been destroyed by rain and hailstorm. They demanded that the Punjab government exempt them from every kind of tax and utility bill to help them make up for their losses.

SIALKOT: Rain affected the wheat and other crops all over Sialkot.

Small-time growers found themselves in hot waters in the face of loss of wheat. After the rain, they said, water was standing in the fields which was detrimental to the crop.

The rain also inundated the low-lying areas and caused a great deal of difficulty for people. The Met office forecast heavy rains in Sialkot and the catchment areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2015

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