By Bureau report
The rains lashed Peshawar, Swat, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Chitral, Malakand Agency and some parts of Mardan district late Saturday night and continued on Sunday as well. Some hailstorm was also reported in parts of the province.
Mountains in Dir Upper, including Lowari Top and Kalam, Behrain, Madyan, Miandam and Marghuzar in Swat valley also received the first-ever snowfall of the year. There were also reports of rain from Abbottabad, Mansehra and other parts of Hazara, Kohat and Peshawar divisions. The intermittent rain continued till filing of this report.
According to Meteorological Department, Dir had received the highest 35 millimetre, Kalam 25, Chitral 19, Saidu Sharif 17 and Drosh 8 millimetre till our going to the press. The downpour brought down temperature as people were seen wearing warm clothes. Minimum temperature recorded on Sunday in Chitral was 6 degree centigrade, Abbottabad 9, Kalam 10, Mingora, Bannu and DI Khan 14, Kohat 15 and Peshawar 16 degree Celsius.
The persistent dry spell had caused chest and throat disease besides increasing pollution. However, the rains washed away dust and made the weather pleasant in across the province. The rain was long awaited for sowing of wheat and other crops of the season and according to farmers further delay in shower could affect per acre yield. Sowing of wheat has already been late in rain-fed areas due to dry weather.
“A late sowing will affect wheat production,” commented a farmer Azizullah Khan. Lal Badshah, another farmer said it could be termed timely as sowing could be completed in a week time. However, he expressed concern over high prices of fertilizer, which they termed out of reach of ordinary peasants.
Some brands of fertilizers are being sold at more than Rs2,200 per bag, they said, and added in such a situation how peasants and farmers could expect agriculture development and enhancing agro-based economy. Water level in rivers of the province had fallen drastically due to absence of rain leading to decrease in hydel-power generation.