Fire at nearby farmland triggers panic among society residents in Rohtak

Residents of the Omaxe Happy Homes (OHH) society were gripped with fear after a fire broke out at a nearby farmland and began spreading dangerously close to their homes on Sunday night. Alarmed by the advancing flames, the residents quickly moved their vehicles from the parking area to prevent damage and tried to control the fire using their own water pumps.

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The Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of the society has lodged a formal complaint with the police, demanding criminal proceedings against those responsible for burning crop residue in the adjoining fields—an act they say directly led to the fire threatening their homes. “Our delegation will meet Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata at the Samadhan Shivir on Tuesday to apprise him of the situation. We will request strict preventive measures, as this could have turned into a major tragedy if the flames hadn’t been controlled in time. It took nearly four hours and multiple fire tenders to fully extinguish the fire,” said Krishan Kumar Garg, president of the RWA, while speaking to The Tribune.

He further questioned how stubble burning could still be occurring near residential areas, despite a statewide ban on the practice.

Dr KPS Mahalwar, a retired professor od Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak and a resident of the society, described the fire as potentially catastrophic.

“Around 9 pm, I saw flames rising from the nearby fields located at Pehrawar village. It looked like someone had set crop residue ablaze. Within minutes, the fire began advancing toward our homes. Several cars were parked facing the fields. We rushed to remove these and other residents quickly joined in to help. Using submersible pumps, we tried to contain the fire before the fire brigade arrived,” he added.

Mahalwar said heavy rain later that night played a crucial role in extinguishing the remaining flames and preventing further destruction. However, lush green trees and landscaping within the society were damaged and the area where the fire broke out also houses a gas pipeline—raising concerns about the magnitude of damage that could have occurred.

“This isn’t the first time such an incident has happened. Last year too, the crop residue in these fields were set on fire. The land, originally acquired from residents of Pehrawar village by Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, has remained unused. The locals have started cultivating it again and continue the illegal practice of stubble burning after harvesting wheat and paddy. It not only endangers our lives and property but also severely impacts air quality and causes respiratory issues for residents,” pointed out Mahalwar.