Heavy Hailstorm Wreaks Havoc in Himachal: Tomato & Apple Farmers Count Losses, Forest Fires Doused
SHIMLA; Heavy hailstorm in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh destroyed the standing tomato crop. Who will compensate the farmer?
Thousands of tomato plants were battered by hailstones today, leaving farmers heartbroken. No help. No compensation. Just shattered hopes.
In Shimla district, widespread rains and hailstorms lashed the apple belt. While orchards in Nerwa Tehsil and Dhanat Panchayat took a beating, the rains brought much-needed relief to areas reeling under drought.
The showers have also put an end to the rising menace of forest fires and brought respite from heatwaves in lower regions, besides recharging water sources.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shimla, the unseasonal weather is due to a Western Disturbance active over South Punjab, North Rajasthan, and West Haryana, likely to continue till May 3rd. Thunderstorms and hailstorms may persist, the IMD has warned.
Solan (39 mm), Bilaspur (38 mm), and Kufri (17 mm) recorded significant rainfall.
The showers have lowered the minimum temperature by an average of 2.4°C, but for fruit and vegetable growers, it’s a nightmare.
While apple growers seek compensation for the losses at the fruit-setting stage, tomato farmers in Solan say they have been left in the lurch with no official visit or assurance of relief. “Is anyone even listening?” asks a farmer from Kandaghat.
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