SWABI: Heavy rain coupled with hailstones on the night between Thursday and Friday damaged maize, sugarcane and vegetable crops in Topi tehsil and its suburbs, said locals on Friday.

“The falling of hailstones in this season is unusual which caused extensive damage to crops, inflicting heavy losses on poor farmers,” said Noor Gul of Haidar Colony, whose sugarcane and maize crops sustained heavy damage.

The farmers said whenever they suffered damage in the wake of natural calamities no help came from the government.

The rain and hailstones also caused suspension of power supply to various regions. The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) staff restored supply to some areas but still various areas remained without electricity.

Faizan Ahmad of Topi city said due to prolong suspension of power supply they suffered a sleepless night.

However, the rain and hailstones made the weather pleasant and heralded the end of ruthless summer.

DOG BITES ON INCREASE: Reports from different regions on Friday said that rabid dogs have bitten a number of people.

Such cases have been reported from Maini, Yar Hussain and Gadoon Amazai.

In Yar Hussain, when announcements were made on loudspeakers about the rabid dogs in the area people started firing on canines, and as a result a man identified as Shamas Khan was seriously injured who was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar.

The people demanded of the provincial government to ensure availability of anti-rabies vaccine in the public sector hospitals.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2018