Bathinda, April 25, 2017: The administration is taking proactive measures in using remote sensing technology to track incidents of fire in standing wheat crop fields in the district.
Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra informed that the measure was put in place to reach out as soon as possible to the affected areas as part of the fire-control measures. The teams of the district administration officials were being immediately rushed to the spot after getting information in such cases.
Punjab Power Minister Gurjeet Rana has recently passed strict instructions in this regard and asked the official machinery across the state to use remote sensing technology for prevention and timely fire-control measures.
More than 20 cases of fire incidents have been recorded in the district and necessary steps were also being taken. He also thanked farmers for desisting from burning of stubble and residues of wheat crop as part of the government strategy to control such incidents.
Addressing local media, Lakra said that this issue could be handled effectively with massive awareness on grass root level and the teams of district administration were on to spread this awareness among farming fraternity.
Meanwhile, the district mandis has witnessed more than 7 lakh metric tonnes of wheat arrival out of which 6.91 lakh metric tonne is procured by agencies while 3.86 lakh metric tonne has been lifted till date.
Till date 709379 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in 180 mandis of district and 691775 metric tonne was procured whereas 386280 metric tonne had been lifted, said DC Lakra adding that in view of unfair weather adequate arrangements have been made to preserve the crop in the mandis.
As compared to total procurement of 791833 metric tonne last year, 709379 metrict tonne of wheat has arrived in the district mandis till date during the ongoing procurement season. He expected the procurement might touch 9 lakh metric tonne mark this year.
As many as six agencies namely Markfed, Punsup, Pungrain, Punjab Agro, Warehouse and FCI were procuring the produce in the mandis.
DC said that Pungrain had procured 1.55 lakh metric tonne out of which more than 95000 metric tonne was lifted. Similarly, the Markfed procured 1.60 metric tonne by lifting 93000 metric tonne whereas Punsup procured 1.38 lakh metric tonne with lifting 79000 metric tonne. He said that Warehouse had lifted 67000 metric tonnes of wheat out of total procured 1.31 lakh metric tonne. Punjab Agro has procured 63000 metric tonne with lifting of 40000 metric tonnes. He said that there were some issues of FCI, which were being sorted out and the agency had procured 24096 metric tonne of wheat with lifting 15000 metric tonne.
About breach in Kotla Branch near village Natt, DC Lakra said that the Administration took all out efforts to plug the breach. He said that teams were working under the supervision of SDM Talwandi Sabo and the breach had been covered up timely. He said that report of any damage was also being taken.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Rahul Chaba was also present besides media fraternity.