Unseasonal Weather Wreaks Havoc Across Rajasthan Districts
An active western disturbance triggered unseasonal rain, gusty winds, and intense hailstorms across several districts of Rajasthan on Monday, severely disrupting normal life and devastating ready-to-harvest rabi crops. The meteorological department has issued warnings that moderate showers and dust storms are likely to continue across the Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Kota divisions on Tuesday.
Severe Agricultural Losses Reported in Multiple Regions
The sudden weather shift inflicted severe agricultural losses, particularly in the Bhilwara, Kota, and Bundi districts. In Bhilwara, maize-sized hailstones and dust storms lashed the Shahpura, Kotdi, and Asind regions around 4:30 pm, completely flattening wheat and gram crops that were poised for harvest.
Responding swiftly to the crisis, Bhilwara district collector Jasmeet Singh Sandhu instructed all tehsildars to begin girdawari (crop damage assessments) from Tuesday. He appealed to both insured and uninsured farmers to register damage complaints within 72 hours via the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana toll-free number (14447) or at local agriculture offices.
Farmers Voice Despair Over Crop Devastation
In Bundi's Nainwa, Hindoli, and Dabi regions, farmers reported extensive damage to both standing and harvested wheat and garlic crops. Bablu Saini of Thikerda village revealed that his standing wheat crop across four bighas of land was severely hit, lamenting that "the wheat now would lose shine to devalue it." Saini confirmed he did not have crop insurance to make up for the substantial loss.
Another distressed farmer, Jeetmal Gurjar of Kangriselor, echoed these concerns and demanded immediate government aid to compensate for the devastating impact on livelihoods.
Urban Areas Face Significant Weather Disruptions
Urban centers across Rajasthan also faced significant weather-related disruptions. In Kota, powerful winds uprooted numerous trees, causing hour-long traffic jams that paralyzed transportation networks. In the city's Rampura market, a dramatic incident occurred when a solar panel was blown off a hotel roof and crashed onto the nearby Shri Brij Gopal Ji Temple, damaging railings and water tanks.
Despite the turbulent weather conditions, Kota and Chittorgarh paradoxically remained the hottest cities in the state, recording maximum temperatures of 37.0°C.
Widespread Weather Activity Across Rajasthan
Meanwhile, Jaisalmer and parts of the Jodhpur division were swept by fierce afternoon dust storms that reduced visibility and created hazardous conditions. Bikaner, Churu, and Nagaur recorded light to moderate showers throughout the day.
Jaipur woke to dense cloud cover and a minimum temperature of 24.7°C, though rainfall in the capital was restricted to scattered drizzle in outskirts including Bagru, Bassi, Kanota, and Hathoj. The meteorological department continues to monitor the situation closely as the western disturbance maintains its influence over the region.
