Fire destroys 9 acres of wheat in Jind; farmers blame power dept’s negligence

Standing wheat crop on nearly nine acres was destroyed in two separate fire incidents in Jind district on Wednesday night, allegedly due to short circuits in overhead power lines. Farmers blamed the Power Department for negligence and have demanded compensation for the loss.

The first incident occurred near Srirag Khera village, along the Dalmwala–Shahpur road, where sparks from overhead power lines ignited the dry wheat crop. Locals alerted fire services and emergency helpline 112, but claim the response was delayed.

“We tried to control the fire using tractors with harrows and dug trenches around the fields to prevent it from spreading,” said farmer Sukhbir. “Villagers brought water drums and helped manually douse the flames, but by the time the fire tenders arrived, it was too late.”

Sukhbir said he lost five acres of crop, while Dilsher lost 1.5 acres and another farmer lost two acres. “A fault had occurred in the power line, which officials failed to fix despite being informed. I’ve filed a complaint at the Sadar police station against the electricity department for negligence,” Sukhbir added.

In the second incident on Rohtak Road, a eucalyptus tree fell on a power line, causing a spark that set a wheat field owned by a local gurdwara ablaze.

“One acre of standing wheat was destroyed,” said Gurvinder Singh Chaugama, a sevadar of the gurdwara. “We used tractors fitted with water pumps and called in the fire brigade. It took around two hours to bring the fire under control.”

Farmers affected in both incidents have urged authorities to take strict action against the Power Department and compensate them for the losses incurred during the critical harvest season.

Haryana Tribune