Fire destroys over Rs 10 million in sugarcane fields

Kathmandu. More than Rs 10 million was destroyed in the fire that broke out in the sugarcane fields of Lahan municipality-13, Ghale Tole.

The fire started from a field on the western side of the dirt road leading to Saraswati and Ghale tole at around 12 noon on Monday. According to the Area Police Office, Lahan, the fire destroyed sugarcane cultivated in around 15 bigha of farmland due to delay in bringing the fire under control. According to preliminary estimates, the loss has been around Rs 1.16 crore.

It took more than an hour for the fire engine from Golbazaar municipality to reach the incident site as the fire engine of the municipality was out of order.

Ram Lakhan Mandal, a farmer of the district, urged the local government to provide relief to the farmers for the loss they suffered during the season.

Locals have complained that the Lahan municipality has 24 wards, but one fire engine is not repaired. Subhaka Lal Yadav, a local of Lahan-13, said that they had to rely on fire brigade from Golbazaar municipality in recent years to fight the fire.

Central member of Farmers’ Federation, Ram Narayan Mahato, said that an on-site monitoring has been started in coordination with Himal Sugar Mill to provide compensation. On the occasion, Lahan municipality mayor Mahesh Prasad Chaudhary pledged to provide as much support as possible to the flood affected farmers and take initiative with the concerned bodies for further assistance.

According to police, 15 farmers including Ram Lakhan Mandal, Bisundev Yadav, Ram Dayal Mandal, Kari Mandal and Ram Bihari Mandal have been affected by the fire.