The Mohali district administration on Tuesday impounded a combine harvester found operating without the super straw management system at Gharuan village in Kharar block, and imposed a penalty of ₹50,000 as environmental compensation on the farmer.
Deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said the violation came to the fore during checking by joint teams of the agriculture department and Punjab Pollution Control Board. The combine was seized and the violator, Balwinder Singh, told to deposit the fine within stipulated time, he said.
The super straw management system attached with a combine chops the paddy straw into very minute pieces, and holds the potential to do away with stubble burning, as other machines can directly sow wheat seedlings while ploughing the existing residue in the field.
Dayalan called upon farmers and combine operators to shun stubble burning by adopting new hi-tech technologies. He has already issued prohibitory orders against use of combine harvesters without the super straw management system. The violators have to pay environmental compensation of ₹50,000, ₹75,000, and ₹1 lakh for the first, second and subsequent offences, respectively.