Relief sought as heavy rain, hailstorm damage crops

TAKHTBHAI: Kissan Board, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, president Rizwanullah Khan on Monday asked the provincial and federal governments to announce relief for the tobacco growers and fruit orchards owners as the overnight heavy rain and hailstorm had wreaked havoc with the standing crops in the province.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of Kissan Board here, he said that heavy rain and hailstorm had destroyed fruit orchards, vegetables, tobacco and other crops in Takhtbhai, Mardan and elsewhere in the province and the provincial and federal governments should compensate affected farmers.

Kissan Board office-bearers, including Sher Ali Khan, Haji Qasim, Amir Nawab, Jawadullah Khattak, Abdul Ghafoor and a large number of affected growers attended the meeting. Rizwanullah said that government should immediately launch a survey to assess the damage caused by torrential rain, gusty winds and hailstorm and announce a relief package for the growers.

He said that tobacco growers and fruit orchards owners were badly affected by the hailstorm and caused them losses in billions.The farmers’ leader said that all the crops, vegetables and fruit orchards were ready for harvesting but the hailstorm damaged and destroyed them in a blink of an eye. Rizwanullah also urged the elected public representatives of the respective affected districts to raise voice for the rights of the growers to compensate them for their losses.He said that they would soon hold a meeting with the chairman of the Pakistan Tobacco Board to apprise him of the situation and get a reasonable relief for the affected growers.