Ludhiana: Fire destroys 18-acre wheat crop in Chaunta village
In Doraha, along Rampur Road, a similar incident gutted four acres of wheat crop and 20 acres of stubble; in Raimalra village under the Payal sub-division of Khanna, fire broke out at a massive 15-acre stubble dump.
Ripened wheat crop on nearly 18 acres was reduced to ashes due to fire that was reportedly sparked by a short circuit in overhead electricity wires in Chaunta village on Saturday. The incident has caused significant losses to several farmers in the area.
Farmer Gurdeep Singh, who was among the first to notice the fire, said the blaze broke out suddenly and spread rapidly through the standing wheat fields. Despite efforts by local farmers to douse the flames, the fire consumed acres of crop before it could be brought under control. “By the time we managed to control it, 18 acres of crop had already turned ash,” he said.
The affected farmers include former village sarpanch Jaswant Singh, Ramesh Lal Satyana, Davinder Singh Chaunta, Kulwant Singh, Balbir Singh Dholanwal, Rajinder Singh Dholanwal, Pritam Singh, Kuldeep Singh and DC Singh Dholanwal among others.
According to the farmers, fire brigade vehicles from Ludhiana city arrived late. “By the time fire engines reached, most of the crop had destroyed,” Gurdeep Singh added. He and others demanded that a fire brigade unit be stationed closer to rural areas, especially during the wheat harvesting season, to ensure a faster response in case of such emergencies.
Responding to the criticism, a fire brigade official stated, “We left immediately after receiving the alert, but the 20-kilometre distance and heavy city traffic caused delays. Our teams remain vigilant and work as promptly as possible.”
Farmers have now appealed to the local administration for compensation, citing the heavy economic losses they have suffered due to the fire. They stressed the need for better infrastructure and emergency response systems in rural areas to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In Doraha, along Rampur Road, a similar incident gutted four acres of wheat crop and 20 acres of stubble. A farmer, Gurshan Singh, said electricity wires along the fields had been loose for a long time. “Despite repeated complaints, power officials failed to get the same repaired. On Friday, sparks from the dangling wires triggered a short circuit, igniting the dry fields,” he said.
Fire officials later confirmed they were initially responding to a separate fire at a stubble dump in Payal when the Doraha fire call came in. Their team rushed from the Payal site and helped bring the Doraha blaze under control.
In Raimalra village under the Payal sub-division of Khanna, fire broke out at a massive 15-acre stubble dump. Staff at a nearby marriage palace tried to control the fire with the help of local residents. Authorities had to evacuate a nearby gas agency overnight as a precaution. Fire engines from multiple stations were called in, but the flames weren’t fully extinguished until Saturday afternoon.
Gurjit Singh, owner of the marriage palace, said, “We’ve been requesting the authorities for months to remove the stubble dump near our boundary wall. No one listened.” Payal MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura visited the site and directed the SDM and local municipal council to provide assistance to the affected areas. The MLA also ordered immediate removal of the stubble dumps near the marriage palace wall.
