RECORDER REPORT
LAHORE: The first countrywide moderate rain has provided the most needed and awaiting relief to the public hit by worst smog and environmental pollution in the country.
According to experts, the rain has also positive impact on the agriculture, health and environment sectors by ending dense smog and drought conditions.
In its daily weather report, the Met Office said on Tuesday that during past 24 hours, Rain-thunderstorm occurred at scattered places in Sargodha, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Bahawalpur, D G khan, Bannu, Kohat, Peshawar, D I khan, Sukkur, Larkana, Quetta, Kalat, Zhob, Sibbi divisions and Kashmir as under:
Rainfall (mm): Balochistan: Zhob 23, Barkhan 08, Quetta 03, Punjab: Layyah 16, Bhakkar 15, D G khan 12, Kot Addu 11, Khanpur 09, Shorkot, Chakwal, Noorpurthal 08, Jhang 07, Islamabad (Air port 07, Zero point 04), Multan, Kamra, M B Din 06, Mangla 04, Bahawalpur, Kasur , Murree, Sargodha 03, Toba Tek Singh, Rohri, Joharabad, Gujranwala 02, Lahore 01. KP: Risalpur 30, D I khan 14, Bannu, Cherat 05, Kohat 02. Kashmir: Kotli 03. Sindh: Jacobabad 06, Moenjodaro 04, Larkana 03 Rohri, Sukkur 02.
It may be recalled that before the rain on Monday and Tuesday, the country was on the edge due to environmental pollution and surrounded from dense smog. The smog was affecting public health and people were suffering from throat and eye infections, difficulty in breathing and other health hazards caused by environmental pollution.
The smoggy conditions also disrupted air, train and road traffic besides causing a number of fatal accidents. Motorway on many points was closed for traffic and trains were late for several hours while some air flights were diverted due to poor visibility.
A spokesman for agriculture department said that dense smog had adverse affect for not only humans but also for the crops. Due to smog, photosynthesis process in leaves of crops was affected and plants could not make their necessary food. Plants, under the effect of smoggy clouds, cannot prepare necessary hormones for its growth and per acre yield of crops may effect due to this situation, he added.
Weather forecast for today:
More rain-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected at scattered places in KP, FATA, Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions), Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Dense foggy/smoggy conditions are likely to subside in plain areas of Punjab
Weather forecast for next 48 hours
More rain-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected at scattered places in KP, FATA, Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Sargodha divisions), Kashmir and Gilgit -Baltistan. On Thursday, Agriculture expert Dr Anjum Ali told Business Recorder that the rain will boost sowing of winter crops wheat, grams, barley, mustard, sunflower vegetables like radish, potato, peas, turnip, lettuce, broccoli, carrot, cabbage, brinjal, cauliflower, garlic, mint, spinach etc in the rain fed areas of the country.
Dr Ajnam Ali, former DG Punjab Agriculture Extension services said though the rain will mitigate the affects of smog over the crops, yet the rain and cold weather will spoil the standing superior basmati rice crop in the Gujranwala division and delay its harvesting and sowing the wheat crop over the vacated rice fields.
