Sagging Power Lines Spark Fire, Destroy 4 Acres Of Sugarcane In Beed

Beed: Four acres of standing sugarcane were gutted in a fire at Salegaon in Kaij taluka on Monday, allegedly triggered by sparks from sagging overhead high-tension wires. The blaze caused losses worth lakhs of rupees to two farmers, who have blamed the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) for negligence.

The affected farmers have been identified as Shrimant Gite, the village's former deputy sarpanch, and Malhari Gite. Besides destroying the standing crop, which was ready for harvest, the fire damaged the drip irrigation systems and pipelines installed across the fields.

Local villagers rushed to the spot to control the blaze. However, strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly across the four-acre stretch before it could be brought under control.

The incident comes as farmers in Beed district grapple with erratic weather and mounting agricultural distress. Farmers in Kaij taluka said incidents of fires caused by loose power lines had increased in recent weeks, damaging soybean and sugarcane crops.

The affected farmers have demanded an immediate spot assessment (panchnama) and adequate compensation from MSEDCL and the revenue department for their losses.