Hailstorm causes extensive damage to HP apple crops

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The inclement weather, heavy rainfall and hailstorm left many villages of high reaches of Shimla district in the State with ruined apple crop forcing the farmers to bear extensive loss. The dark clouds lashed many part of hill state yesterday and today as heavy hailstorm in the State wreaked massive damage to the ripening Apple crop.

 

The reports arriving said that many villages of Theog, Jubbal & Kotkhai were lashed with heavy hail storm grounding the un-ripened apple fruits last night. Apple grower of Ratanadi Mr. Prakash Negi, Mr. Virendar Chauhan of Kotkhai and Mr. Sita Ram Verma of Theog demanded early survey of the hail damage as Kandaru Panchayat of Theog, Ratnadi and Bagi of Kotkhai were worst hit by the unprecedented hailing.

 

The impact of hail storm was so extensive that some villages covered under by hail guns were also under its spate extensively grounding the crop completely defoliating plants. Weather vagaries left many apple growers bearing massive loss, farmers lament. The partly saved apple crop would expected to have massive decline in fruit output or quality in as some places reported extensive damage or bruising to the foliage and fruit to its crop.

 

Tissa in Chamba recorded 22.4 mm rain, Saluni 18 mm, Kangra 14.5 mm, Kotkhai of Shimla 12 mm, Jubbal & Palampur 11 mm each, Kheri of Chamba 10 mm, Sarahan of Shimla & Keylong 9 mm each, Dharamshala 7.8 mm, Manali & Kangra 7.2 mm each, Shimla two mm and Solan one mm respectively.

 

The minimum temperature was two to three degrees below normal in the State as Shimla was recorded at 15.4 degree Celsius, Sundernagar 16 degrees and Bhuntar 13.4 degrees. Kalpa in Kinnuar was low at 6 degrees, Dharamshala 18 degrees, Una 21 degrees, Nahan 20 degrees, Keylong 7 degrees, Palampur 17 degrees, Solan 15 degrees, tourists resort Manali 8 degrees, Kangra 17 degrees, Mandi 19 degrees, Bilaspur 18.7 degrees and Hamirpur 18 degrees respectively.

 

The maximum temperature was also one to two degree below normal as Shimla recorded high at 24 degrees, Sundernagar 34 degrees, Bhuntar 32.3 degrees, Kalpa 19.6 degrees. Dharmshala was high at 30.8 degrees, Una 36.4 degrees, Nahan 31.5 degrees, Solan 27.4 degrees and Kangra 33 degrees respectively.

 

Met Office forecast rain or thundershowers at few places of mid, foothills and high reaches in the State in the next 24 hours.

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ML Verma is a Senior journalist, with more than a decade of experience of active reporting for electronic media, news agencies and fast paced online media.

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