Short circuit sparks blaze, standing wheat crop damaged in Indora area

A major fire engulfed wheat fields in the Mand-Ghandran gram panchayat of the Indora Assembly constituency last evening, destroying standing crops just days before harvest. The fire, believed to have been caused by a short circuit in overhead power lines, has left three farmers with significant losses.

The incident occurred in Ward No. 7, where wheat crops cultivated on 16 kanals of land by Suresh Kumar, and on 12 kanals each by Surjeet and Harbans Singh, were reduced to ashes. The crops were ready for harvesting and farmers were scheduled to begin cutting within the next two days.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing sparks from an electric wire running above the fields, which quickly ignited the dry, ripened wheat. Locals rushed to the scene and, with quick thinking and teamwork, managed to douse the flames with water, preventing the fire from spreading further. Jugal Kishor, the pradhan of the local gram panchayat, also reached the site and immediately informed the local administration.

Indora MLA Malinder Rajan said he had instructed the administration to assess the damage and extend financial relief to the affected farmers. Indora SDM Surinder Thakur confirmed that revenue and agriculture department officials had been directed to carry out a field assessment. “Once the report is received, necessary relief will be provided to the victims,” he said. He further added that the local electricity sub-division has been asked to inspect and repair the power supply lines in the Mand area to ensure public safety.

Meanwhile, residents of the area have demanded that the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) either relocate the power lines that run over agricultural fields or elevate and properly maintain them to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Himachal Tribune