Oneyearold killed, cloud on wheat as rain, winds lash Punjab, Haryana
Met predicts light rain, thundershowers at isolated places in the region today
PATHANKOT/HISAR: Dust storm and rain lashed several parts of Punjab and Haryana, bringing some respite from the heat but also worries for farmers and civic authorities, on Friday night and Saturday.
In Pathankot in Punjab, a oneyear-old daughter of migrant labourer couple died of injuries in a freak accident. The roof of her family’s hutment caved in after an iron sheet flying in the stormy weather landed on it around 11pm on Friday.
The family, Vishav Karma (30) and his wife Ganga (27) of Uttar Pradesh, were sleeping with their two daughters when tragedy struck. While Priya died on the spot, the others were rushed to the local civil hospital where they were stated to be out of danger on Saturday. Across Punjab and Haryana, harvested wheat crop suffered damage due to lack of sheds in the grain markets.
The tricity of Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula was hit by a dust storm and saw some showers on Saturday afternoon. High velocity winds led to uprooting of trees and power failure at several places. A car and a two-wheeler got damaged after an uprooted tree fell on them in a market in SAS Nagar.
The meteorological department has forecast light rains or thundershowers at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana on Sunday too, while a message to farmers from Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) alerted of a week of dust storm and rain at some places in Haryana and neighbouring Punjab.
Dr Raj Singh, head of the meteorological and agriculture department at HAU, said, “Harvesting of crop has been almost completed in Haryana. It is suggested that the farmers reap their crop as soon as possible.”
A farmer from Kirarkot village in Sirsa district said, “We have completed the reaping work, but the wheat crop is still lying in open at the grain market. There is minimal arrangement of covering the crop.”
RESPITE FROM HEAT
Among several places in Punjab, Amritsar recorded a maximum temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius, six notches below normal. The city witnessed 5mm rainfall. Ludhiana and Patiala witnessed the respective maximums at 37.2 and 39.1 degrees.
In Haryana, Ambala’s maximum was 38.8, two notches above normal. Chandigarh’s maximum was 37.7 degrees, two notches above normal.