Crop fire: When dreams turn into ashes
By: Dr. Satyawan Saurabh
Every year, thousands of acres of crops are burnt to ashes in fire, affecting the hard work, hopes, and lives of farmers. The main causes of fire include poor power supply, human negligence, mutual enmity, and climatic reasons.
Government compensation schemes and crop insurance processes are so complex and insensitive that the affected farmer does not get relief but more mental agony. The article emphasizes technology-based solutions like thermal sensors, fire brigade units, modernization of power systems, and awareness of farmers.
Crop fire not only burns the fields, it also destroys the food security and social structure of the country. Timely policy and technological interventions are extremely necessary.
Every year when the Rabi crop spreads its golden color in the fields and the farmer’s eyes shine with the glow of the hard work of the whole year, then a black cloud of smoke rises from some villages—the fire of the crop.
This fire does not just burn the field; it destroys the soul of the farmer. This is not a new phenomenon in the rural landscape of India but a grave and growing problem that has become a living example of the helplessness of policies, technical neglect, and administrative lethargy.
The truth of the statistics and the ground reality
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), thousands of acres of crops are destroyed by fire every year in India. Hundreds of incidents are reported between April and June in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh alone.
In 2024, more than 50 crop fires were recorded in a single day in the Barnala district of Punjab. But the pain behind these figures is not recorded in any government press release. The farmer works day and night in the field for months, arranges for seeds, fertilizers, water, and labor on credit, and when the crop is ready, a spark destroys everything.
Causes of fire: where does the spark come from?
There are many reasons for crop fires. The power distribution system in rural areas is so dilapidated that falling of wires in open fields is a common occurrence. Increased load in summer and old transformers promote short circuits.
Burning garbage near fields, throwing bidi cigarettes, or clearing dry bushes with fire turns a spark into a fire. Many times crops are deliberately set on fire due to mutual enmity or land disputes. Extreme temperatures, strong winds, and dry crops help the fire spread rapidly.
The fire in the heart of the farmer
It is not just about compensation. When a farmer sees that his fields, his hard work, and his hopes are burning, he is broken from within. Many farmer suicides have been recorded after this fire. In 2023, a farmer in the Kaithal district of Haryana committed suicide after a fire broke out in his field. Compensation of Rs 10,000 came, but there was no food to eat in the house.
Government Policies: Relief or Formality?
Government compensation schemes are based on the burnt area of the farm. But the land is inspected by patwaris and tehsildars, who often come weeks later. Small farmers get Rs 4-5 thousand per acre, and that too after months. Crop insurance schemes are also mostly on paper. Many farmers understand neither the policy terms nor the claim process. Insurance companies reject claims by showing weather data—”The fire was not part of the weather.”
What is the solution?
It is time we talk about ‘prevention’ rather than ‘relief.’
Modern technology such as thermal sensors, drone surveillance, and alarm systems can detect crop fires in time. Mobile fire engines should be set up at every block level, and volunteer fire brigades should be formed at the village level.
The power lines going to the fields should be buried underground, or accountability for their regular maintenance should be fixed.
It is very important to avoid fire-related activities near farms, to prevent the burning of garbage, and to provide fire safety training. In cases where conspiracy or mischief is involved, the police should take immediate cognizance and register a case. The claim process should be made simple and transparent by linking crop insurance to Aadhaar and mobile.
The role of the media: looking beyond the smoke
When the media shows news of a crop fire, it is often a visual sensation—burning fields, crying farmers. But what after that? Has any channel ever shown whether compensation was given or not? Whether the police registered a case or not? Was the culprit caught, or was the case shelved? Crop fires are not a natural disaster; they are a systemic failure. And the responsibility for this failure lies not only on the farmer but on the entire society.
The fields that are burning are the country’s plate
When a field burns, it is not only the farmer who suffers; it raises questions about the food security of the entire country. This fire turns the grain into ashes even before it reaches the plate. What is needed is that we not only call the farmer “annadaataa” (provider of food) but also provide him security, respect, and technical resources. The fire in crops is a warning now—if we do not wake up even now, then tomorrow not only the fields will burn, but the soul of the society will also turn into ashes.
(The author is a poet and a freelance journalist)
