Strong winds fuel fires in wheat fields

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 20

A fire broke out in wheat fields at Kadial village on Friday. Due to strong winds, the fire spread to fields in four villages under Dirba sub-division engulfing wheat stubble on hundreds of acres and standing crop on 19 acres.

Kulwant Singh, a farmer of Kamalpur village, said: “The fire could have claimed several lives had the police and district officers not alerted the residents on time. The burning of stubble will cause shortage of dry fodder.”

Local residents urged the government to open a fire station at Dirba as fire tenders from Sangrur take at least one hour to reach here.

As per reports, 13 acres of wheat of Swarnjit Singh of Kamalpur, 3.5 acres of Karnail Singh of Samura and around 2.5 acres of another farmer from Samura was reduced to ashes.

Besides, dry fodder store constructed in the fields of Amrik Singh was also engulfed by fire while numerous trees were also burnt.

“There is no loss of life. The fire spread at a fast pace due to strong winds,” said Yogesh Kumar, DSP, Dirba. In another fire incident on the outskirts of Sangrur, standing wheat crop on 9 acres was damaged.

Crop gutted in Fatehgarh Sahib

Fatehgarh Sahib: Fire damaged standing wheat crop here on Friday. It started from adjoining villages in Patiala district and spread due to high-velocity winds to several villages in Fatehgarh Sahib district — Sangatpur, Chanarthal, Chanarthal Khurd, Pandrali, Attapur, Khojemajra, Sangatpur, Khare, Mirpur, Majri, Majri Sodian, Sidhwan and Sanipur.

Officers led by ASP Dr Ravjot Grewal and SDM Manjit Singh reached the spot. Fire tenders were sent from the adjoining towns of Mandi Gobindgarh, Rajpura and Khanna.

Alka Meena, SSP, contacted the Chandigarh Police. Fire tenders from the UT arrived here in the evening. However, the flames were yet to be doused completely till the filing of this report.

Led by local MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra, Congress workers also reached the spot to help the farmers save their livestock and belongings. — OC