Palghar, Maharashtra: A massive fire engulfed a rented warehouse storing rice of the Adivasi Vikas Mahamandal in Ghol, a village in the Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, late Monday night, resulting in the destruction of thousands of quintals of rice. The blaze, which occurred at around 1 am, destroyed the facility which held this year’s harvest from local farmers.
The warehouse, under the jurisdiction of the Sub-Regional Manager, was storing an estimated 3,000 quintals of rice when the fire erupted. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The flames quickly spread, consuming both the rice and the gunny bags. Firefighters from Boisar and Dahanu were dispatched to the scene and battled the blaze for several hours. Their efforts, along with the use of a JCB to move unaffected rice, prevented further losses.
Local residents and Gram Panchayat members were instrumental in alerting emergency services and corporation officials. Police and corporation representatives arrived at the scene in the wee hours of Tuesday to assess the damage. Preliminary estimates suggest the financial losses will be substantial, likely running into lakhs of rupees.
"The Adivasi Vikas Mahamandal's rice warehouse in Ghol's Patil Pada was affected by the fire. We were alerted by local Gram Panchayat members and residents and immediately informed the police and corporation officials," stated Sudam Kadam, a local Gram Panchayat member.
Yogesh Patil, Regional Manager of the Adivasi Vikas Mahamandal, Jawhar, added, "We received information from local residents and staff about a fire at the rented rice warehouse in Ghol. We promptly called the fire brigade and police to control the situation. A detailed assessment will determine the extent of the damage."
Authorities are now investigating the cause of the fire, exploring both accidental and potential arson scenarios. An official report is expected soon.
