Wheat crop on 35 acres burnt along border villages in Jammu

Jammu, Apr 27 (UNI) In a big blow to the farmers, about 35 acres of ripe wheat crop has been reduced to ashes due to accidental fire in villages along the international border in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Standing wheat crop on at least 25 acres of land gutted due to reported short circuits in Gobindgarh village of bordering Ramgarh area during the past four days, Local Legislator and Minister of State for Education Manjit Singh told UNI quoting revenue authorities.

Similarly, wheat crop on ten acres of land reduced to ashes due to accidental fire that broke out yesterday in bordering dug area, he went on adding.

Mr Singh, who visited the affected areas, said fire had badly affected nearly 39 families of the farmers, who were primarily dependent on the produce.

He said directions were given to revenue authorities to table a complete report on the crop loss due to accidental fire, so that farmers could be given proper compensation.

The fire incidents, he said, were not new for the farmers as it occurred every year.

As there was no fire brigade in ramgarh area, the blazes engulfed relatively more wheat crop this year.

He said loose electric wire from transformers in the fields were behind this havoc, as ripen wheat crop easily catched fire due to the short circuits.

However, responding to the increasing incidents of fire, administration has deputed a fire tender in the area to meet any further destruction of crop till harvesting is over, the minister informed.

The villages along international border in Jammu region produce a major share of total crop yield in the state.

UNI