Twin fire incidents raise concerns in Muktsar grain market
Farmers are facing sleepless nights not only due to accidental field fires but also because of safety concerns regarding wheat crops stored in grain markets. Recently, two fire incidents were reported in the Muktsar grain market within a span of three days, with the latest one occurring on Thursday. Fortunately, prompt action by firefighting teams prevented major losses in both cases. However, the consecutive incidents have raised concerns among farmers who have already started bringing in their harvest.
According to Jaswinder Singh, a fire officer involved in the rescue operation, the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and there were no electricity wires near the wheat bags. In the Thursday incident, wheat stored in hundreds of bags was damaged. The grain market premises are currently congested due to a surge in wheat arrivals, with wheat sacks piling up.
The local Grain Market Mazdoor Union has accused the transport contractor of irregularities in vehicle deployment. In response, the civil administration initiated a physical verification of transport vehicles on Thursday, based on the registration numbers provided by the contractor. Surjit Singh, chairman of Market Committee, Muktsar, confirmed that the verification process began on Thursday.
Farmers are now urging the authorities to enhance safety measures and streamline transportation to prevent further incidents.
