Yet another hailstorm caused huge damage to some parts of the apple belt in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh.
The hailstorm struck several areas of Kotkhai,Jubbal,Rohru and Rampur Tuesday.
The pounding continued for around 90 minutes.The worst affected areas are Baagi,Ratnadi,Jashla, Khaneti, Tharola,Baghal,Kalbog,Reoghati,Jarol,Tikkar and Kholighat.
Some of these areas are close to where the anti-hail gun has been installed with much fanfare this year by the state government.
The apple crop in Himachal is expected this time to be around a third of the record production of last year.
Since April majority of the apple belt has been hit by hailstorms damaging the standing crop.
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
