Ambala: Smouldering fire guts paddy stubble stocked at Naraingarh sugar mill

AMBALA: The paddy stubble stocked from the last season for power generation at Naraingarh Sugar Mill in Banondi village of Shahzadpur area, somehow caught fire, and huge quantity of stubble has been turned to ashes.
The fire officials at Shahzadpur fire station told that the first fire incident took place at the stocked paddy stubble at sugar mill on July 22, 2020, then on July 28, then on September 11 and on October 5.
Fire officer Jaidev Malik said, “The quantity of paddy stubble stocked is huge and it has been smouldering since the first fire incident on regular basis. After the first fire incident, we went to the spot and controlled the fire. The sugar mill has its independent fire extinguishing system installed and it has the water stock available. We had helped them after attaching pipes from their fire system and handed over the task to their employees to control the fire.”
“Later, we did not receive any intimation from the sugar mill to control the fire after October 5 incident”, said Malik.
As per the local sources, the fire has been smouldering inside the stocked paddy stubble till Wednesday, after another fire broke out on October 5.
Shahzadpur police station house officer (SHO) sub-inspector (SI) Chander Bhan said, “After the sudden fire incident on October 5, a daily diary entry (DDE) was registered at our police station on the day. No further representation has been received from the sugar mill side.”
On the other side, the sugar mill officials told that their entire stock was insured and the insurance company is conducting a survey to ascertain the exact loss to the mill.
Naraingarh Sugar Mill general manager (engineering) VK Singh said, “The reason behind the paddy stubble is yet unknown but the entire stock was insured and the company surveyor is assessing the loss. The quantity of stock is huge and it is from the last season. The fire is smouldering and it sometimes breaks out and we have to control it. Paddy stubble is purchased only for about two months during its season and it becomes hard to purchase it after October-November months, therefore, it is stocked in large quantity at the mill for operations of power generation throughout the year."