SWABI: Continued drought-like situation has worried the growers of wheat, tobacco and other crops as they fear drastic cut in yield and finances.

The situation has also turned critical in the mountainous Gadoon Amazai belt as water wells have gone dry and the people are facing water shortage.

Talking to Dawn here on Monday, the farmers said those owning the arid land were anxiously waiting for the much-needed rainfall.

They said rain had not fallen since September and more delay could cause more agony to them.

Kisan Board district president Khalid Khan feared that delay in rainfall could cause large-scale reduction in yield.

“More delay in rain will be devastating for the farmers as they largely depend on wheat and tobacco crops for sustenance,” said Liaqat Yousafzai, central general secretary of Kashtkar Coordination Council. “We need good crop to keep check on wheat flour price.”

Due to lack of rain water level in the River Indus has fallen, and as a result, level in the Tarbela Dam has also dropped, officials said.

“Continued drought-like situation has also resulted in less water for the land irrigated through tubewells,” Alam Sher Gohati, provincial general secretary of Anjuman-i-Kashtkaran, said.

VACCINE ARRIVES: The Swabi district on Monday received 160 doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor, deputy commissioner Shahid Mehmood said 100 vaccine dozes had been handed over to Bacha Khan Hospital and 60 to the district headquarters hospital.

The basic health units would also get the vaccine soon, and in the first phase, only the health workers would get the jabs, and later the other people, especially the elderly, would be inoculated against Covid-19.

In a separate development, an operator of a chairlift in Tarbela Dam power house was killed when it suddenly fell over him on Monday, officials said.

The deceased was identified as Habib Khan, who lived in the Tarbela Dam Right Bank Colony.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2021