OKARA: Farmers have urged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to declare the district as calamity hit area as 396mm of rain during the last five days has played havoc with maize, paddy and fodder crops.

They said sesame crop exported to China had been cultivated on a large area in the district and its fields were now flooded. Identical is the fate of tobacco crop.

Dipalpur tehsil grower Syed Kasur Rizvi told this correspondent that it was the time to cultivate paddy variety 1509 after harvesting of maize but rains had flooded fields.

Another grower Rai Muhammad Saleem said drains had not been desilted since long which could have controlled the damage.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025