To curb pollution, Moga bans straw reapers

Moga, April 6

The district administration has imposed a ban on the use of straw reaper machines during the ongoing wheat harvesting season, claiming that these machines often lead to incidents of fire and cause air pollution.

The wheat straw left in fields after harvesting and making hay (dry fodder) with straw reapers is generally burnt by the farmers to prepare fields for the next crop.

District Magistrate Kulwant Singh and Plant Protection Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar said strict action would be taken against farmers who used straw reapers and burnt the crop residue in fields.

The plying of combine harvester machines in the wheat fields during the night time has also been banned by the district administration. The wheat harvesters cannot be used to harvest the crop after 7 pm and before 9 am.

Both these orders- ban on straw reaper machines and plying of combine harvester machines during the night time will be applicable till May 31, the DM said.

The DM said the administration has made elaborate arrangements for the purchase of wheat for which 109 purchase centres have been set-up at various locations in the district. A total of 7,70,900 metric tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive in the grain markets of the district. As many as 30,836 bales of gunny bags are available with the purchase agencies, which are enough to pack the food grains.