Wheat crop on over 800 acres destroyed in fire across 15 dists

Wheat crop standing across 814 acres in 15 districts of Haryana has been destroyed in a series of fire incidents, impacting 312 farmers and resulting in crores worth of losses, according to the state Agriculture Department.

Sirsa, Kaithal, and Fatehabad among worst-hit; Rs 50,000 loss per acre feared

Short circuits caused by overhead power lines running through fields have emerged as the primary reason for these fires, said officials. However, such incidents do not fall under the purview of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which covers crop damage due to lightning but not electrical short circuits, clarified a senior Agriculture Department official.

The government is yet to declare a formal compensation package for the affected farmers. Still, insiders suggest the average loss per acre is about Rs 50,000, making the estimated total damage significant.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, acknowledging the crisis, said,

“The recent fire incidents in the state have caused damage to crops, livestock, and property, resulting in hardship for farmers.”

He has directed all Deputy Commissioners to submit detailed reports on the damage.

Worst-hit districts

Sirsa is the most severely affected district, where 266.28 acres of wheat have been lost, affecting 57 farmers. On April 18, Ruli Chand from Rupana Urf Darba Khurd village lost standing wheat over 40 acres, with an estimated loss of Rs 23.28 lakh, based on an average yield of 24 quintals per acre.

Fellow villagers Satpal, Krishan, and Baljeet each suffered losses on nine acres, losing Rs 5.24 lakh each. A day later, in Rori village, farmer Karnail Singh lost both his wheat crop over four acres and his tractor, which caught fire as he tried to douse the flames. The total loss in Sirsa is pegged at Rs 1.55 crore.

In Kaithal, the second most-affected district, 146.3 acres were damaged, impacting 61 farmers. In Kaul village (Pundri), Joginder suffered 100% loss over 5.5 acres, along with nine other farmers. In Pabnawa village, Sumit and 11 others lost their crops over multiple acres.

Fatehabad ranks third with 83.3 acres burned, affecting 31 farmers. In Saiman village, crops over 25 acres and 14 kanals were destroyed, with six farmers reporting complete losses.

In Kurukshetra, the fourth-worst affected district, 34 farmers lost crops on 57 acres, with a combined loss of Rs 30.41 lakh. In Diwana village, Sahab Singh lost crops over six acres (Rs 3.20 lakh), and Chahatarpal lost four acres (Rs 2.13 lakh).