Harvester machines in Punjab without super straw management to be impounded

Punjab Pollution Control Board has ordered to effectively curb stubble burning during the paddy harvesting season

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To effectively curb stubble burning during the paddy harvesting season, the Punjab Pollution Control Board has ordered that combine harvester machines without functional Super Straw Management System (SMS) will be impounded.

Additional Chief Secretary, Development, Anirudh Tewari on Tuesday urged combine harvester operators to get the Super Straw Management System fitted on their machines. The state government is providing a 50 per cent subsidy on the total cost of getting SMS fitted on the machines, he said.

In a statement, Tewari said there are nearly 12,500 combine harvesters in Punjab, out of which 5,000 have already been fitted with the SMS. Sanction to 2,000 more applications for fitting SMS on combine harvesters has been received by the agriculture department, he added.

The officer said that combine harvester machines owners have to follow the instructions issued under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act-1981 to ensure that only SMS-installed machines would operate during the ongoing paddy harvesting season.

SMS is a piece of machinery attached with the combine harvester machine, which cuts the standing paddy straw into small pieces and spreads it uniformly in the field. The farmers then are not required to burn paddy straw before sowing the next crop.

"Environmental compensation shall be imposed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) upon owners of the harvester combines found operating without the attachment of Super SMS.

"This fine would be Rs 50,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs 1 lakh for first, second and third violation respectively and Rs 1 lakh on each violation after the third violation," Tewari said.

He also said directions had been issued to all deputy commissioners to depute adequate staff of the Punjab Pollution Control Board and other departments concerned for ensuring strict compliance of these instructions.