JAIPUR: A massive fire broke out on Friday in Rajasthan’s Kota district, engulfing standing wheat crops spread across nearly 200 bighas of farmland.
The incident is being described as one of the rare large-scale farm fires in the region, causing significant losses to over a dozen farmers. According to eyewitnesses, flames were visible from a distance, while thick black smoke spread across the area.
According to initial reports, the blaze erupted in the fields in the Sultanpur area around 11 am.
Fanned by strong winds, the fire spread rapidly and engulfed multiple fields within a short span, leaving farmers with little chance to control the damage.
Affected farmer Jagdish Meena said, “I had wheat crops on 50 bighas. The crop had not yet been harvested. The ripe produce was worth more than Rs 15 lakh.”
He added, “We were about to harvest the crop in a day or two. We had even arranged machinery, but before that, the fields caught fire and everything was destroyed.”
Another farmer, Mahavir, a resident of Jaleempura, said, “The fire has caused losses of around Rs 3 to 4 lakh. Even the harvested crops that lay in the fields were engulfed in flames.”
Angered by the incident, farmers alleged negligence on the part of the administration. They claimed that fire tenders arrived late and lacked adequate capacity to control the blaze.
“The fire kept spreading, but timely action was not taken. The electricity supply should have been cut immediately, but it remained on, which worsened the situation,” the farmers said, demanding accountability and compensation for their losses.
While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, preliminary suspicion points to a possible short circuit. Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident.
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh district president Jagdish Sharma Kalamanda alleged that negligence by the electricity department played a major role in the incident.
He claimed that a broken jumper wire was hanging from a transformer located behind a petrol pump, and sparks caused by wires that came into contact due to strong winds may have triggered the fire, destroying the standing crops.
The affected farmers have demanded compensation from the government, citing heavy financial losses just ahead of the harvest season.