Taking serious note of a series of fires that damaged large areas of standing wheat crop in the state, Minister for Power and Irrigation Rana Gurjeet Singh has issued strict instructions to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, asking it to ensure that no further damage is caused to the crops due to the sparking in electric supply wires which run over the fields.The Minister also issued orders to ensure strict monitoring of the wind velocity during the harvesting season between April 7 and May 7, during which most of the wheat harvesting is done.Following reports of some fire incidents which led to burning of large areas of wheat crop across the state as also loss of one precious life, the Minister asked the PSPCL Chairman to set up a special monitoring cell using latest technology to forecast the velocity of wind so that preventive and precautionary measures are taken and the power supply is stopped.
The Minister disclosed that the PSPCL has been asked to use the remote sensing technology to gauge the velocity of the winds in advance as these damage the wires which lead to fire in the wheat fields. “There will be round the clock monitoring and it will be ensured that there is no further damage to the crops”, he said.Earlier, the issue was brought to the notice of the minister by senior party leader and MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who expressed concern over the raging fires in wheat fields. “We are seized of the matter and are monitoring the situation at the highest level and all remedial measures are being taken”, the minister assured Randhawa, while announcing that the intense monitoring will start from next harvesting season.