High-velocity winds disrupt power supply in city

High velocity winds disrupted power supply for a few hours in several areas last night.

Senior officials at the PSPCL said transformers and electricity poles were reportedly damaged in some areas.

They said the PSPCL staff were actively working to ascertain the damage that had been done due to the winds. “We don’t have any data recovery right now, everything will be clear after sometime," he said.

While in some areas, the power went off for a few hours, in other areas the electricity was not there in the morning as well.

Reports of a wall getting collapsed due to high winds also came to the fore in Jalandhar.

However, not much affect was reported on the crops. The harvesting of wheat has started. Farmers said if velocity winds were accompanied with rain or hailstorm, then it would have created problem.

OVER 2100 MTs WHEAT CROP PURCHASED IN DISTRICT

Punjab Horticulture and Defence Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat, along with Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal, inaugurated the wheat procurement season at the New Grain Market in Jalandhar on Thursday with the arrival of the first heap of wheat.

The duo also convened a meeting of officials from procurement agencies, directing them to ensure seamless operations, timely lifting of produce and prompt payments to farmers.

The minister and DC stated that the district is expected to receive around 5.25 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat this season across 79 procurement centres. To date, more than 2,101 MTs have already been procured, with 100 per cent of payments cleared for the purchased crop, an achievement that underscores the administration’s commitment to farmer welfare.

Accompanied by Market Committee Chairman Gurpal Singh and District Mandi Officer Arvinder Singh, the minister reiterated the government’s resolve to conduct farmer-friendly procurement operations. In anticipation of a bumper harvest, over 29 temporary mandi yards have been arranged to accommodate the expected influx.

The minister and DC reviewed on-ground arrangements, including potable water, sanitation, shaded waiting areas, tarpaulins and adequate availability of gunny bags (bardana). Emphasising timely payments, they instructed officials to leave no stone unturned in executing the procurement process efficiently and in line with government guidelines.

Meanwhile, farmer Santokh Singh from Gakhal village, who brought in the season’s first heap of wheat at New Grain Market, expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and praised the administration for swift and efficient procurement.

Jalandhar