DERA GHAZI KHAN/MUZAFFARGARH: Heavy rain and hailstorm destroyed wheat and gram crops in the areas of Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and Muzaffargarh on Saturday.

The hill torrents of Sanghar drain in Taunsa submerged crops in the riverine area.

Residents of Taunsa Sharif, Sakhi Sarwar and Dera Ghazi Khan witnessed heavy rain and hailstorm, badly damaging wheat and gram crops on about 40,000 acres in Mouzas of Sokar, Chit Pani, Bughlani, Jhok Rohal and Gadi southern of Taunsa.

Due to flooding from the hill torrents of Sanghar, floodwater entered in standing crops in Mauzas of the riverine areas of Ashraf, Jard Leghari, Jarrah, Aara, Mubarak, Langah, Geeha, Pulwa North. Electricity feeders tripped due to continuous rain.

The wheat crop cultivated over thousands of acres of agricultural land across the region has been completely destroyed. Farmers of the area made an appeal to Chief Minister Punjab to declare the area a calamity hit area.

Continuous rain, hailstorm and heavy winds in districts of Layyah and Muzaffargarh for the last two days hit the wheat crop that was ready for harvesting on hundreds of acres was damaged by the spell of rain.

Due to recent heavy rains and hailstorm in Layyah, wheat crop on more than one million acres was partially damaged while in Muzaffargarh, it was badly damaged. The crop was almost destroyed by the hailstorm and heavy winds while rainwater flooded the fields.

The farmers said they faced the hailstorms for the third time in a week and demanded the government assess the losses through a survey to announce compensation for them.

They said the government should declare Muzaffargarh and Layyah districts as calamity-hit and announce a relief package for small farmers whose crop was about to be harvested when the bad weather conditions hit it.

An official of the agriculture department of Layyah said wheat crop was cultivated on about 700,000 acres in the district and it was destroyed on thousands of acres.

The farmers appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif who launched Kissan cards for small farmers to announce compensation and free loan in areas hit by the rain.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2024