SWABI: Members of Anjuman-i-Kashthkaran and farmers belonging to various regions said here that the abundant rainfall this year would likely result in better yield of wheat crop in arid areas.

In a gathering, the farmers of arid areas said that they had been hoping to get a good yield after the recent rains. They said that two or three more timely rains in intervals would further improve the yield for the growers. They said that there was over 40,000 kanals of arid land in Chota Lahor tehsil only.

“Crops in the arid areas are completely dependent on rains and lack of rain could reduce the yield,” said Sher Zamin, a local farmer. The farmers said that the recent rain spells would surely benefit the wheat cultivated in arid areas of the district.

Alam Sher Khan, district president of Anjuman-i-Kashthkaran, said that the rain fell at the right time and still there were over two months for harvest of the wheat crop.

“We can now predict to get a bumper crop in the arid areas this year,” he said.

NEW BUS STAND: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser inaugurated the new site of general bus stand, Topi tehsil, on Sunday.

Tehsil nazim Sohail Yousfzai, councillors and officials also attended the inaugural ceremony. Under the plan, tehsil municipal administration would shift the bus stands from the congested markets to Topi bypass area where new markets would also be built. This would reduce the traffic pressure on Topi main bazaar.

With the opening of the new bus stand the issue of traffic jams is expected to be controlled in the tehsil headquarters.

Mr Qaiser said that the new bus stand would be built on modern lines and it would have adequate facilities for transporters and passengers. Meanwhile, provincial minister for communication Ayub Khan inaugurated Gandaf road on Sunday. Officials said that the project had been completed with a cost of Rs50 million.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2019