Farm fire destroys wheat crops in Bhojpur

Ara: A farm fire that broke out on Friday afternoon in a couple of adjoining villages under Shahpur police station in Bhojpur district destroyed harvest-ready standing wheat crops and caused heavy losses to farmers. The blaze affected Banahi, Bankat, Doobwal and Rudranagar villages.“The fire that broke out at about 12 noon on Friday soon engulfed a large swathe of agricultural land. At least four fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. The fire was eventually brought under control by the evening. Prima facie, sparks from an overhead high tension wire appear to have triggered the blaze,” Shahpur SHO Rajesh Malakar said on Friday evening.A police officer present at the spot while assisting fire personnel said, “About 500 acres of standing crops have been destroyed in this massive fire.”District officials, however, said the exact loss caused due to the fire is currently being assessed.Meanwhile, the CPI-ML demanded adequate compensation for the affected farmers under disaster relief provisions.“The CPI-ML leaders have talked to the Bhojpur district magistrate and have apprised him about the heavy loss incurred by the farmers due to the devastating fire. The loss is more painful considering the fact that the affected farmers were preparing to reap the harvest-ready wheat crops,” CPI-ML town secretary Dilraj Pritam said.