CASHEW PLANTATIONS AT PALI AND ADVOI SATARI CATCHES FIRE

VALPOI: Cashew plantations at two different places in Satari caught in fire, on Sunday. According to sources from the Valpoi fire service, the cashew orchards caught fire at two places — one at Pali and other at Kumbharwaddo, Advoi.

The sources said that the reason for the fire at Pali is not yet detected, however, as per the villagers; the spark from the electrical lines passing over the orchard could be the cause of fire.

The sources further informed that the fire personnel received information at around 2:15 p.m. about the incident.  According to them, nearly 1,500 cashew saplings and trees were gutted in the fire and the loss could be around ` 75, 000.

In second incident of fire at Advoi, affected farmers incurred the loss of ` 40,000, the sources informed.

After receiving the information, fire force team which included sub inspector Mr Ramesh Dhawasker, Mr Yeshwant Gawas, Mr Arvind Gawas, Mr Ratnakar Dhawasker and others under the supervision of the officer in charge, Mr Majik swung into action and with the help of villagers managed to control the fire at Pali.

When the affected farmers of Pali were contacted, they said that nearly 2,500 cashew saplings and fruit bearing plants have been destroyed in the fire.

They said that this year, the cashew yield was expected to be good due to the favourable climatic conditions.  “We are now nowhere as this fire has destroyed our plantation at the onset of season,” they lamented.

Speaking to the media, another affected farmer said the fire has destroyed the cashew orchards covering 15 hectares of land and urged the government to compensate the farmers as early as possible so that they could initiate the process of replanting the saplings.