E-Paper
275 acres of wheat crop gutted in Ludhiana
Farmers alleged that the wheat crop, which was almost ready to be harvested, caught fire due to short circuit in overhead power cables in Ludhiana
In a major setback to farmers, wheat crop cultivated over 275 acres turned to ash after sporadic farm fires broke out in Dakha, Raikot, Sudhar and Jagraon subdivisions of the district over the last 24 hours.
Farmers have largely alleged that their crop, which was almost ready to be harvested, caught fire due to short circuit in overhead power cables. The villages that were worst affected were Chhajjawal , Talwandi, Rajoana, Rajoana Khurd and Heran.
However, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chief engineer Jasvir Singh refuted the allegations, claiming that the feeder was off, and there was no power supply in the aforementioned villages when the fires broke out.
“The allegations have been probed, and it was found that a short-circuit did not cause the fire.” An official of the district administration , on condition of anonymity, said no compensation will be paid if short-circuit was not found to be the reason for the fire.
SAD leader demands compensation
However, Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD’s) Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali has demanded that compensation be paid to farmers regardless of the cause of the fires within a stipulated time frame.
“The point is not whether the fires broke out due to a short-circuit or for some other reason, but that we must support the affected farmers,” he said.
“Most of the affected farmers have small landholdings, and have used all their savings in sowing the crop. Some have even borrowed money. It was unfortunate that their fields were destroyed when the crop was ready for harvest,” said Ayali.
Not just the crop, but the stubble used as cattle fodder was also destroyed. Chhajjawal sarpanch Sarwan Singh said, “The exact reason for the fire is not known, but some farmers said the fire was caused due to a short-circuit in the overhead power cables. By the time the fire tenders reached the damage was done.”
Farmers dejected, demand fire tenders
“I am done with farming,” declared a dejected farmer, Balwinder Singh of Heran
village, who lost 12 acres of standing crop. “I had borrowed money to sow the crop, and now all my hardwork and aspirations have turned to ash. I do not know how I will repay the money, and fend for myself and my family.”
Another farmer, Harwinder Singh Grewal of Hera village, who had cultivated 10 acres of wheat, all of which was gutted, said, “We were already expecting a low yield because of the unexpected rise in temperature, but the fire consumed all we had.”
After the incident, villagers have demanded that fire tenders be deployed in villages to deal with such exigencies.
Damage assessed
Chief agriculture officer Narinder Singh Benipal said teams visited the fields to assess the damage incurred on Saturday, and found that 275 acres of crop in Jagraon, Raikot and Sudhar areas had caught fire.
“Farmers have been asked to share land records, so that they can be sent to the higher authorities,” said Benipal.
