Residents in India’s Punjab are rejoicing over the much-awaited rainfall that just hit the region, following a heat wave that lingered for months. Here's more on the story.<br /><br />Monsoon showers finally hit India’s state of Punjab on Monday, bringing much relief to the people from the scorching heat.<br /><br />[Y. M. Sharma, Chandigarh Resident]: (gender male, Hindi)<br />"We also hope that more rain will come and give relief to everyone."<br /><br />[Praful, Chandigarh Resident]: (gender msle, English)<br />"I am feeling really good. After such a scorching heat we had a nice rain. So it is a very nice feeling."<br /><br />Heavy rains are expected to continue over the next 24 hours.<br /><br />[Surinder Paul, Director, Meteorological Observatory, Chandigarh]: (Hindi) male<br />"The monsoons have arrived in Punjab and Haryana, it has covered the entire area including Himachal and J and K (Jammu and Kashmir); and this is monsoon rain. These rains are quite good for agriculture, including paddy fields. Since paddy fields need a lot of water, state departments can now save a lot of power. So it's quite beneficial.”<br /><br />The monsoon, crucial to India's crops, is running four to five days behind schedule and has yet to reach half of its territory, though rains are expected by the weekend.
