DC orders ban on use of combine harvesters from 7 pm to 9 am

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 17

District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, Balwinder Dhaliwal on Tuesday passed an order to impose a ban on the use of combine harvesters between 7 pm and 9 am and also banned the burning of wheat residue.

Passing the orders, the DC said usually the combine harvesters, which are brought to agricultural fields to harvest wheat crop, are used for 24 hours and this round-the-clock usage leads to lots of problems.

He said these huge machines were usually taken from one field to another by road, endangering the lives of motorists as well as creating traffic bottlenecks. At times, there is always a risk of these machines coming in contact with high-voltage electricity wires, which may further cause a short-circuit leading to fire incidents.

Keeping in view precautionary measures the use of these combine machines is being reduced and farmers are advised to run these machines only in the daytime and a complete ban has been imposed on its usage between 7 pm and 9 am.

In another order, the District Magistrate ordered to put a ban on the burning of wheat residue in Mansa district. He said it was observed that farmers normally burned the wheat stubble and the leftover material of the crop, which causes a lot of pollution. He said smoke and unbearable pollution could further lead to people being afflicted with many ailments. Keeping people’ health in mind, a ban has been imposed on the burning of wheat stubble.

The DC said the fertility of the soil also got affected due to stubble burning and farmers should always avoid burning crop residue for the overall benefit of society.