On one hand where the pollution coupled with fog has paralysed the normal life, the prevailing conditions, on the other hand, have also affected the farming community at large. The plummeting temperature, in the absence of sun, is delaying the wheat sowing.
Farming experts maintained that the soil with high moisture is not fit for wheat sowing and the continuing foggy conditions is delaying the same.
Most of the farmers in this part of the region are banking on the Met predictions regrading rains due to western disturbances after which the weather conditions will improve.
Due to fog and absence of proper sunlight, the temperature is falling drastically resulting in high moisture in the soil which is not suitable to sow the wheat crop.
“As the temperature dramatically went down several degrees than its routine, it is not favourable for sowing wheat crops,” a farming expert told The Pioneer.
The expert said that with the sun shining bright, the moisture in the soil dry up with the heat which favours the wheat seeds to grow. “But, in these days, as the temperature has come down from 35 degrees a fortnight before to 20-21 degrees Celsius maximum and 12-14 degrees minimum, the farmers have deferred preparing their fields to sow the wheat,” added the expert.
That is not all! The smog continued to disrupt the normal life of the people since over a week now. The situation has led to slow moving traffic with no less than 200 trains running several hours behind their schedule.
It has been learnt that in Ferozepur division, almost all the Mail, Express and other trains on long routes have been running late by five to 15 hours than their scheduled time.
Moreover, the transporters have instructed their drivers to drive the buses slowly and with proper caution without taking any risk or worrying to sticking to the timetable. This has resulted in long hours waiting and delayed arrival of buses to about two to five hours.