Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Jan. 4 : The continuous dry spell in the Dharamshala in Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh has made apple farmers worried for their produce.

Apple growers in the mid and high hills of the state are worried that their crop will be severely hit unless the weather god obliges them with snow or rainfall.

Usually, sowing of wheat and other crops is complete by late December. However, farmers in most parts of the state are still waiting for rain. Any further delay in sowing will further delay harvesting of the crop.

"Our cultivable land is turning barren. We don''t have any other source of income, we are completely dependent on agriculture," said Kantha Devi, a farmer in Kangra valley.

The dry spell has also affected Rabi (winter) crop sowing.

This year the monsoon arrived late by one month. Dharamshala is known as a rain fed area but this year even this town is facing scarcity of water because of little snowfall on the Dhauladhar Mountains.

"Pressure is there, so hopefully we can witness rainfall soon. Last year we faced the problem of pre-monsoon, and this year rainfall has been delayed," said Virender Kumar, an official with meteorological department, Dharamshala.

Inadequate snow fall during winter causes water scarcity during summer in the hills, where most sources of water are snow- fed. (ANI)