RAHIM YAR KHAN: A heavy rain and hailstorm backed by strong winds caused `devastation` in mango orchards and wheat fields across the district and adjoining areas of Bahawalpur on Monday night.

A rickshaw driver of Iqbalabad area was injured when large hailstones hit his vehicle.

Traffic on the motorway and national highway was also affected.

Reports of damage to farms, specially mango trees presently at fruiting stage, poured in from Liaqatpur, Khanpur, Rahjm Yar Khan, Sadiqabadm Zahirpir, Kot Sabzal, Sanjarpur, Rahimabad, Bhong, Sardargarh, Jamaldin Wali, Bahadurpur and Yousufabad areas.

Several Mepco tripped, suspending power supply to different areas.

MUZAFFARGARH: Strong winds, hailstorm and rain that started on Saturday affected wheat crop, with farmers apprehending losses.

Agricultural officials said more than 500,000 acres land was cultivated with wheat in Muzaffargarh and crop at its current stage did not need water or rain.

Ahmad Nawaz and Khizer Bhatti, two farmers from the Shah Jamal area of tehsil Muzaffargarh, said they had cultivated wheat on 14 acres and were very happy when the federal government announced Rs1,800 per 40kg wheat price. They expected their yield to be 50 maunds per acre this year but the rain dashed their hopes and now they were expecting hardly half of their estimate.

The farmers appealed to the government to assess their losses and give them relief because it was loss of a whole year.

PPP MNA Malik Raza Rabbani Khar said he would raise the issue in the National Assembly as the farmers had already suffered in the pandemic. He said he had already raised this issue in the standing committee meeting with Sania Nishtar, the special assistant to PM.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Two days of torrential rain has damaged wheat crop in Pirmahal villages just three weeks ahead of harvesting.

Anjuman Kashtkaran, Pirmahal tehsil president Mian Asad Hafeez said this year farmers had put in extra effort to sow wheat as they earned good profit last year. He said wheat was cultivated on 108,000 acres in Pirmahal tehsil this year and considering its growth farmers were expecting high returns.

He demanded relief for small growers through watercess and farm income tax WalVer.