Nashik: A massive fire destroyed sugarcane crops spread over 53 acres in Brahmni village of Rahuri taluka, Ahilyanagar district, on Monday afternoon, reports The Times of India.
According to officials from the Rahuri taluka revenue department, the fire is believed to have started due to friction between overhead electricity wires passing through the fields. The blaze broke out around 1.30 p.m. and was immediately reported to the Rahuri fire department. Firefighters reached the spot and managed to bring the flames under control after battling the fire for more than two hours.
Fire officials said one fire engine made four trips between the fire station and the fields to completely douse the flames.
Revenue department officials said the affected sugarcane belonged to 22 farmers whose farms were located next to each other. While the total damage is still being assessed, the initial estimate of the loss stands at around ₹83 lakh.
Meanwhile, continuous heavy rainfall in the Nashik region has already damaged kharif crops spread over more than 10 lakh hectares, affecting nearly 13 lakh farmers across 3,000 villages. Ahilyanagar district has been the worst affected, with rain damaging crops on about 5.62 lakh hectares.
