Rain brings cheer

Rain brings cheer
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 10
Sudden rain in the city and nearby areas last night has brought relief to residents who have been braving the extreme weather conditions in the wake of unschedule power cuts and inadequate water supply.

Rice growers in the district too got a reason to smile as the sowing season is at its
peak and the sudden dip in the temperature with rainfall has given moisture to
the land.

The rain, which lashed along with speedy winds last night, has brought down the temperature with the maximum hovering around 38 degree Celsius, down from 42 degree Celsius yesterday while the maximum humidity went up to 88 per cent.

Harjeet Singh, a rice grower in Kullian village, said: “The moderate rain has not only brought the temperature down, but also it has increased the humidity level, which is good for the crop”.

“Earlier, we were lifting water, but with this rain there will be no need of lifting water for the next two or three days,” he added.

Officials of the Meteorological and the Agriculture Department also predict rain in the coming days.

A senior agriculture scientist at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, said: “There is a possibility of rain in the next two-three days, which will definitely give more respite to the farmers”.

On the other hand, high-velocity winds caused damage to electricity poles of the Power Development Department (PDD) and power supply lines developed snags.

Though officials of the PDD were immediately pressed into service to restore power supply, yet in some parts the situation was almost the same.

Shabnam Goni, chief engineer of the PDD, said: “We are assessing the total loss caused by the recent spell of rain and speedy winds. It will take a week’s time to prepare the report of the total loss”.

Courtesy: The Tribune