Ludhiana: PSPCL sets up control room to prevent crop fires triggered by faulty infra
In Ludhiana, a centralized control hub has been established by the regional power utility to monitor and respond to sparks that could set dry crops ablaze during the harvest season. Officials warn that even minor discharges from overhead conductors, transformers, or switching equipment can rapidly ignite standing or recently harvested wheat, causing substantial losses in minutes.
Chief Engineer Jagdev Singh Hans stressed that the new control room is fully integrated with field divisions, and duty teams have been placed on heightened alert throughout the peak harvesting window. “Even a small spark can trigger major damage. Farmers should report faults immediately so that teams can respond on priority,” he noted.
To speed up detection and response, the utility has enhanced its fault-reporting framework and established dedicated channels for rapid action. The objective is to shorten the time between fault identification and on-ground intervention, particularly during periods of heavy field activity when electricity infrastructure intersects with agricultural operations.
Officials said monitoring of electrical lines that pass through farming zones has been intensified, with extra attention given to regions where combine harvesters are actively operating and where crop moisture has declined. These conditions are conducive to the rapid spread of any ignition and require immediate corrective action to prevent wide-scale damage.
The utility also issued practical guidelines aimed at reducing accidental fires. Farmers were urged not to store harvested grain under power lines or in close proximity to transformers or GO switches, since sparks in such spots can ignite dry crops instantly. In addition, cultivating best practices includes clearing a margin around transformers in advance and maintaining a moist zone within a 10-meter radius of field transformers to help contain the spread of any fire sparked by electrical equipment. Other cautions included avoiding smoking near harvested crops, refraining from burning wheat residue near electrical installations, and ensuring proper handling of GO switches by authorized personnel only.
Officials also advised operating combine harvesters during daylight hours to lower the risk of ignition and to enable quicker detection and response in the event of a fault. The overall aim is to safeguard crops and reduce disruption to harvest timelines by combining proactive monitoring with disciplined farming practices.
As Mohit Singh, a senior official in charge of field operations, explained, the integrated approach represents a shift toward more proactive infrastructure management in agricultural belts. By aligning technical monitoring with on-farm practices, authorities hope to minimize losses and keep power supply stable for farmers during a critical period.
