Statesman News Service
MALDA, 16 APRIL: Hailstorm damaged 10 to 15 per cent of the mango crop in some blocks of Malda district last evening. The storm lasted for about 20 minutes, wreaking havoc on the mango orchards and dislodging the young fruits from the trees.
The destruction was more prominent in English Bazaar, Old Malda, Ratua I&II, Kaliachak , Manikchak, and Harishchandrapur blocks,. The storm also damaged a number of dwellings in those areas.
The district horticulture officer, Mr Goutam Roy, said: “The hail struck mangoes would either turn black or rot. It would take sometime to assess the exact percentage of the loss”.
Despite the destruction, the horticulture department officials are optimistic the district would produce more than 3 lakh metric tones of mango this year. The trader, who had invested money and had bought orchards are, however, worried. “First it was the heat wave and now the hailstorm. Another natural calamity and we would be ruined”, a businessman said.
No comments:
Post a Comment