Farmers In Fatehpur Sikri Area Devastated By Hail Storm

Agra: Visitors to Taj Mahal scurried around for safe cover as the dark clouds emptied on the white marble monument Friday afternoon. Several spells of rain increased the woes of the people in low lying areas of the city.
In the Fatehpur Sikri, hail storms in past two days and continued bad weather has led to large scale devastation in the fields. The farmers had been hoping for a bumper mustard and wheat crop this season, but the unexpected twist in the weather has ruined most farmers in Pali, Patsal, Karahi, Chauma Shahpur and scores of other villages which have lost upto 80 percent of their yield.
District Magistrate Sanjay Prasad has sent out teams to assess the extent of damage.
Farmers on Thursday roadblocked the national highway at three points. The hails "were huge and piled up almost a foot, in several spells," said an official of the Kiraoli tehsil. When the hail storm hit the area, most people were out in the fields with hardly a cover over their heads. Many were severely hurt in an hour long hail storm.
Meanwhile, tourists visiting Agra have found their movements severely restricted as a result of the wet spell. The winter chill has returned in all its fury, said Malvika, a student of Social Sciences Institute. The preparations for the five day Taj Auto Expo, which is scheduled to be opened Friday evening have been badly affected.

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