Fire Destroys Paddy Crop During Threshing in Katigorah, Marginal Farmer Appeals for Govt Aid

At a time when paddy harvesting is underway across Assam, a sudden fire during threshing operations left a marginal farmer devastated in Cachar district on Tuesday morning (December 16). The incident occurred at Gobindapur Part 2 under East Katigorah, where farmer Atikul Haque Barbhuiya was threshing paddy using a petrol-run auto-rickshaw.

According to reports, the auto-rickshaw suddenly caught fire, which quickly spread to the threshed paddy and the straw stacked on the threshing field, triggering a massive blaze.

Finding himself helpless, Atikul Haque raised an alarm. Hearing his cries, locals rushed to the spot and made frantic attempts to douse the flames by pouring water from containers. However, their efforts failed to bring the fire under control.

Katigorah Police and the Fire and Emergency Services were subsequently informed. Fire brigade teams and police personnel rushed to the spot and, with the assistance of villagers, managed to control the fire. By then, however, all the threshed paddy and stored straw had been completely gutted. The fire also destroyed the auto-rickshaw used for threshing.

The affected farmer said, “The fire started from the auto-rickshaw and quickly spread to my entire paddy crop along with the stored straw. I have suffered losses amounting to over Rs. 40,000. Initially, villagers rushed in and helped control the fire, and later, the police and fire department arrived at the spot. Otherwise, several nearby fields could have been affected. I am a marginal farmer, and I appeal to the Cachar district administration for monetary assistance, as I have lost not only my paddy but also my auto-rickshaw.”

The farmer has appealed to the district administration for urgent assistance and relief to cope with the losses suffered in the incident.