Fire destroys paddy worth Rs 20 lakh in Peddapalli

A massive fire in Peddapalli district destroyed over 15 quintals of seed paddy worth Rs 20 lakh after flames from burning stalks spread to stored bags. Strong winds and extreme heat worsened the blaze, affecting multiple farmers across Odela, Kalvasrirampur, and Ellanthakunta mandals.

Peddapalli: More than fifteen quintals of seed variety paddy was reduced to ashes in a fire mishap in Indurthy of Odela mandal on Thursday. Paddy stored in agricultural fields caught fire as the farmers of adjacent fields set fire to the paddy stalks.

The fire set to burn the leftover paddy stalks spread to the seed variety paddy bags due to strong winds. Very high temperatures due to the ongoing heat wave seemed to have added to the intensity of the fire.

---

Paddy filled in 60 bags worth about Rs 20 lakh was gutted in flames. After coming to know about the incident, farmers rushed to the spot and tried to extinguish the flames by spraying water with the help of the gram panchayat tractor.

Farmers Panga Anand, Ratnakar Reddy, Suman, Srinivas and Shankar suffered losses due to the burning of their crop.

In Mirjampet of Kalvasrirampur mandal, a paddy field spread in 1.20 acres was burnt in flames. Again in this incident also burning of leftover paddy stalks caused the fire accident, said Pulluri Sagar, the owner of the paddy field.

High temperatures were recorded in Odela mandal during the last few days. Odela is one of the few places where the highest temperature touched 46.4 degrees Celsius.

Besides paddy fields, haystacks and agricultural pump set wires were also burnt in flames in Anantharam of Ellanthakunta mandal.