Bathinda, Aug. 27 -- The rains sweeping through the semi-arid southwestern districts of the state have emerged as a significant threat to the region's crucial cotton and kinnow crops, officials and farmers have said. With over 8,000 acres of farmland inundated in Fazilka alone, the incessant rain is dampening hopes of a good harvest this kharif season. Cotton, which is at the sensitive flowering stage, has borne the brunt of downpours over the past 48 hours. Karamjit Singh Sekhon, regional director of the Bathinda-based regional research station of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), pest infestation was completely under control and a good production season was expected this kharif season, but the inclement weather has now triggered the scare of disease attacks. Cotton crop is in the advanced stage and rainfall at this juncture will have an adverse impact on it, he added. As per the provisional data of the state agriculture department, Fazilka was leading with 1.38 lakh acres under cotton cultivation in the 2025-26 kharif cycle. Fazilka chief agriculture officer Rajinder Kumar Kamboj said 8,000 acres of land under cotton cultivation have been inundated for the last almost two weeks, and more cotton area is getting hit due to rains....