BAHAWALNAGAR: A heavy windstorm accompanied by hailstorm and rain lashed districts of south Punjab on Sunday, injuring two persons and damaging crops at a massive level.

Two people suffered injuries and were shifted to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital after the roof of their house fell on them due to heavy rain near the Fatima Rice Mill on Sunday, District Officer (Emergency) Rao Sharafat told Dawn.

Agriculture Deputy Director Latifullah said cotton crop recently sown over hundreds of acres had been damaged in Haroonabad and Fort Abbas because of the rain and hailstorm while 40pc of the cotton crop cultivated across the district had been partially affected.

The hailstorm also affected vegetable and fodder crops, he said and added that no compensation would be given to the farmers because there was still time for the destroyed crops to be cultivated again.

Hailstones weighing up to 200 grams each hit Haroonabad; more hailstorm, rain expected in next two days

While quoting the Met Office, Mr Latifullah said more hailstorm and rain were expected in the whole Punjab, including district Bahawalnagar, in the next two days which may damage the crops irreparably. He said huge hailstones weighing around 200 grams had fallen at Chak 76/4R of tehsil Haroonabad on Sunday.

As per reports, powerful storm uprooted many trees and billboards at several places in Bahawalnagar city, disrupting the traffic and causing traffic jams. The power supply to many localities was still suspended when this report was filed. Power breakdown also caused the closure of water supply, adding to people’s hardships.

Mr Latifullah said a spell of hailstorm had been going on in the district Bahawalnagar for the last four days.

In another weather related incident, a youth, named Shahbaz (17) of Mohallah Islamnagar, died while four of his family members suffered injuries when their house collapsed due to heavy rain. The incident occurred at 1:48am.

A report issued by Rescue 1122 on Sunday, said at least 15 people, including women and children suffered injuries due to squall and hailstorm related incidents so far while two of them succumbed to their injuries.

At least two people died and several others were injured by hailstorm, windstorm and rain, which razed several houses and destroyed crops over miles during the last four days in the district.

BAHAWALPUR: A strong windstorm accompanied by heavy hailstorm and rain lashed parts of the district Bahawalpur and other areas of south Punjab on Sunday.

In the Bahawalpur district, the hailstorm hit tehsil Yazman very badly and damaged crops. The hailstorm caused extensive damage to the recently cultivated cotton crop and mango trees not only in the district but across south Punjab.

The rain and windstorm disrupted the supply of electricity in many parts of south Punjab, plunging hundreds of localities into darkness.

The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) in a press release admitted that hailstorm and rain had affected the supply of electricity at a massive level in the rain-hit areas of the region. It said over 250 feeders in six operation circles tripped, including 70, 76 and 25 feeders in Bahawalpur, Multan and Vehari circles, respectively.

Mepco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mahar Allah Yar Bharwana has issued an alert to the chief engineers of the operation circles in the south Punjab and directed them to restore the electricity in the affected vast areas as soon as possible.

In the Bahawalpur city, the people of low-lying areas faced multiple problems due to sewerage issues as the roads and streets were submerged with rainwater. The municipal corporation had yet to start draining rainwater from the roads and roundabouts of the low-lying areas.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Heavy windstorm followed by rain disrupted the electricity supply system in different areas of Khanewal while many trees were also uprooted on Sunday afternoon.

Reports said the storm inflicted heavy losses to mango orchards, cotton and maize crops.

The Mepco staffers were working in the field to repair damaged transmission lines and fallen poles to restore power supply when this report was filed.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2023