PESHAWAR: The rains that finally came Sunday night not only ended the long dry weather, but also brought smiles on the faces of the people, particularly the farmers.
It started raining in Peshawar, Mardan and many other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sunday night and the rains continued intermittently on Monday. The first drops came around 9.30 pm Sunday and the rain became heavy later in the night and in the morning.
The faithful had been praying for rains as the dry spell had worryingly become long. The dust and the dry cold had contributed to illnesses and caused pollution and fog.
The farmers were concerned more than anyone else as the lack of rains was affecting the growth of their crops, particularly wheat. In the rain-fed areas, the wheat crop was beginning to wither away due to stunted growth. The wheat crop sown on irrigated land was better in terms of growth, but it could have benefited from early rains.
Agricultural experts and farmers said the even these delayed rains would immensely benefit the wheat and other crops. A farmer, Shertaj Khan, said the rains would save the wheat crop from insects that proliferate during the dry spell. He said these rains are like the elixir of life for the crops, more so wheat which is the staple food in Pakistan.
Citizens happily commented on the blessings that the rains had brought in December. They pointed out how the plants, roads and drains were cleaned by the running water after the rains and everything looked sparkling clean and healthy. They said the dust had been washed away and the thirsty trees, shrubs and flowers were looking fresh.
As the clouds continued to cover the skies, there was hope for more rains. The people weren’t yet fed up of the rains as they wanted more. Many persons remarked that they liked the gently falling winter rains that usually don’t cause floods and damage.