Crops Damaged Across UP As Hailstorms Hit The State, Eight Killed In Lightning Strikes

Lucknow, March 4 (TNA) Heavy damage has been caused to crops in many parts of the state due to unseasonal rain and hail storms. According to officials, as many as eight people died due to lightning strikes. Most of the districts of Uttar Pradesh received heavy rains along with strong winds on Sunday. Heavy to light hailstorms occurred in many districts. According to the Meteorological Department, 7.5 mm rainfall was recorded in the state on Sunday. Also told that the weather will gradually start opening from Monday. However, there are chances of rain in some areas.

According to Atul Kumar Singh, scientist of the Zonal Meteorological Center, Sultanpur-Mirzapur-Hardoi received 14.8 mm of rain, Bahraich 14.1, Kanpur Nagar 13.9, Barabanki and Gonda received more than 11 mm of rain. Amethi has received a maximum rainfall of 16.9 mm.

Due to unseasonal rain and strong winds, the cold has increased once again. The maximum temperature has gone down by 9.9 degrees below normal. The maximum mercury reached below 20 degrees in Moradabad and Bahraich.

The meteorological department said that the wind speed was 50 km per hour. The hailstorm that accompanied this caused the crops standing in the fields to fall. On March 4, the weather will be dry in Western UP, while there may be rain at some places in Eastern UP.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all DMs to assess the loss of crops damaged by hailstorms and excessive rain and pay compensation within 24 hours. He said that action would be taken against negligence in this. All DMs, SDMs and Tehsildars should go to the spot and immediately survey the damage to crops.

Relief Commissioner GS Naveen Kumar said that hailstorms occurred in other districts including Lucknow, Sitapur, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Muzaffarnagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Kanpur Dehat, Shahjahanpur, Lalitpur, Saharanpur and Jhansi on Sunday. According to him, four people have lost their lives in the state due to lightning. A house has collapsed due to heavy rains in Mathura. A house has been damaged due to lightning in Ababkarpur village of Saharanpur. There has also been a loss of cattle in many places.

Due to rain and hailstorms, about 20 per cent of the potato crop sown in 22 thousand hectares in Barabanki was damaged. Tobacco crops in Gonda and mustard crops in Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, Sultanpur and Ambedkar Nagar have been adversely affected. Wheat and lentil cultivation has been ruined due to hailstorms. Mango blossoms have fallen due to hailstorms in Lucknow and surrounding districts.

Along with air services, the operation of buses and trains was also affected due to rain in the capital Lucknow. One person each died due to lightning in Sitapur, Ayodhya, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi, Gorakhpur and Shahjahanpur.