Jammu:  As harvesting of rabi crops picks up across the Jammu region, the Fire and Emergency Services issued an advisory for farmers on Saturday, highlighting various measures to avoid crop fires.

The advisory was issued by the joint director of the Fire and Emergency Services, Jammu range, to help reduce the risk of eruption of crop fires and minimise injury to humans and damage to equipment.

The harvesting of the wheat crop is in full swing after the administration directed the continuation of agriculture operations in a controller manner and made necessary arrangements for special passes to facilitate movement and operations of combine harvesters.

The Fire and Emergency Services advisory asked the farming community to take precautionary measures and avoid all those things which contribute to the fire like throwing cigarettes and bidis carelessly, handing match boxes to children, stacking wheat straw under overhead high tension electricity wires and improper disposal of household ash.

It urged the farmers to prepare fire breaks like sand on all sides to reduce the risk of crop fire, keep fire beaters with large range handy, and remove crop residue, dust, debris, dirt and excess lubricant around heat sources regularly. It also asked them to check for exposed wiring and fuel/hydraulic lines for damage, wear and deterioration.

Check the thrasher machines thoroughly before starting them, have volunteers and necessary equipment to extinguish these fires at start and also carry a cell phone to report emergencies to the Fire Department immediately, the advisory read.

Divisional Fire Officer (DFO), Jammu, Goverdhan Singh Bloria said four fire tenders with three personnel each were sprinkling disinfectants across the city under the supervision of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) over the past one month as part of efforts to combat COVID-19.

He lauded the people for acknowledging the contribution of the Fire and Emergency Services personnel, saying, “Recently, our team was welcomed with flowers by the residents of Nagrota.”

Bloria added that they were also providing prepared meals to stranded people in different parts of the city.

Press Trust of India