Bathinda: Ready for harvest, crop gutted post short-circuit

Bathinda, April 11

The standing wheat crop along with residue in approximately eight acres was gutted in fire following an alleged short-circuit in electric transformer here at Sivian village in Bathinda on Monday.

Jagshir Singh, a villgefarmer, said: “Wheat sown on four acres of land was gutted in fire after my fields caught fire.” The wheat stubble on around four acres of land of Jatinder Singh, another farmer from the same village, was also gutted. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Jagshir Singh Jhumba said: “After a massive fire broke out following a short-circuit in a transformer at Sivian village, the crop as well as wheat residue was engulfed completely. Villagers said the fire brigade tenders reached late and they had almost put out the fire by then.

“We demand that the administration conduct girdawari to assess the quantum of loss suffered by these farmers and compensate them adequately for it.” —