Crop residue burning sparks fire, farmers suffer heavy losses in Khammam

A reckless act of burning crop residue in Chintakani mandal, Khammam district, led to fire accidents that destroyed crops across several villages. Around 50 acres of maize and other plantations were gutted, and a tractor was burnt.

Khammam: Reckless act of burning crop residue by some farmers proved costly for several farmers in Chintakani mandal of the district.

Harvested produce, crops ready for harvest, oil palm and eucalyptus plantation was burnt in fire accidents at Narasimhapuram, Baswapuram, Lachagudem, Chintakani, Seethamapet, Timminenipalem villages in the mandal on Friday.

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A tractor belonging to a farmer D Venkateshwarlu was burnt at Chintakani in the fire accident, while a maize field was reduced to ashes as 11KV power distribution lines snapped and fell onto the field at Matur in Madhira mandal.

CPI (M) Madhira division secretary Madupalli Gopal Rao along with leaders visited the affected fields on Saturday and noted that crops in approximately 50 acres of land were gutted by the flames. He appealed to the government to provide compensation to the affected farmers.

He pointed out that the entire maize harvest was lying in the threshing yards; procurement tokens were not being issued properly and even where tokens had been issued, trucks failed to arrive for transport.

Farmers were gripped by anxiety, fearing that their harvested crops left exposed in the threshing yards would be ruined by unseasonal rains, gusty winds, or fire accidents. But the government was negligent in the purchasing process, Gopal Rao said.

He demanded the government to provide compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to affected farmers. Agriculture officials also visited several affected fields in the day to assess the damage.