RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD, April 10: Rain, varying in consistency from drizzle to light shower, on Sunday lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad and adjoining areas bringing the temperature down and creating fears among the farmers that the wet spell could spoil their ripe crops.
The intermittent rain started in the morning and continued till filing of this report at 10pm.
The showers brought the maximum temperature down from 29 to 14 degrees Celsius in the capital city and 29 to 15 degrees in Rawalpindi. The Meteorological Department recorded two millimetres of rain in Islamabad and three mm in Rawalpindi.
It forecast more rain and cool winds sweeping northern parts of Pakistan in the next 24 hours. “A low pressure has developed over northern Pakistan. Islamabad and neighbouring areas can expect more rainfall during the next 24 hours and the temperature is likely to further decrease in the coming days,” said an official of the department.
He said gusty winds and hailstorm were recorded in some areas of the Rawalpindi division, including Chakwal.
The overcast sky, green-blanketed rolling Margalah Hills, clean and fragrant atmosphere gave the federal capital a heavenly look but made difficulties for people in some areas as rainwater accumulated on some roads and streets due to collapsed sewerage system.
The rain also threw the normal life out of gear. Most of the residents opted to stay indoors in order to avoid the mud on the streets.
“I could not take my children to the nearby park due to the rain and chilly wind,” said Ashar Ali, a resident of Chaklala Scheme-III.
The temperature dropped considerably and the sale of samosas, pakoras, shawarma and jalebis suddenly picked up, resulting in long queues at sweet shops.
However, the rain had least impact on the book bazaars set up along the footpaths of Bank Road, Haider Road and Kashmir Road in Rawalpindi Cantonment. “We are here to get books as their prices have jumped up,” said Faisal Sheikh, a booklover.
Weekly bazaars witnessed low turnout due to the rain. Mostly people avoided visiting the bazaars due to the slushy mess. The stallholders complained about low turnout and also criticised the city district government for providing grounds along nullahs for the establishment of the bazaars.
On the other hand, many youngsters were seen on Benazir Bhutto Road from Secretariat-II Chowk to Marrir Chowk, Adamjee Road and Committee Chowk underpass ridding motorbikes and displaying dangerous stunts.
Meanwhile, farmers in the suburban areas of the twin cities feared that the rain spell would spoil their crops as they were planning to harvest wheat. “In this season, the wheat crop is fully grown and the strong wind lay down the crops and heavy showers spoil the wheat,” said Mohammad Riasat, a landowner in Tarnol.
In Gujar Khan, the farmers were also worried about the ripening wheat as rain at this stage may harm the crops.
Besides wheat, harvest of grams and pulses is also underway and the rain may hamper the process. “The rain at this stage is harmful for wheat and the dark clouds on the sky also frighten us about the impending hailstorms that can devastate the grains,” said Raja Munsab, a farmer.
Heavy downpour lashed Attock and the adjoining areas turning the weather cold after a brief spell of high temperature. Light shower started with cold breeze in the morning which later turned into heavy rain that continued till filing of this report. The visibility remained very low particularly in the morning due to the thick clouds. The rainwater also accumulated on roads causing disruption in traffic. However, the people preferred to stay indoors because of the holiday.
No comments:
Post a Comment