Coronavirus: Ludhiana admn allows farmers to harvest, sow crops

Combine harvesters will be allowed to operate only from 9am to 7pm

In view of lockdown due to novel coronavirus, the district administration has allowed farmers and farm labourers to harvest and sow crops. An order in this regard was issued by district magistrate-cum-deputy commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal on Saturday.

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While providing information, Agrawal said the orders were passed keeping in mind the time of harvesting of crops. He said that during the harvesting season, the combine harvesters will be allowed to operate only from 9am to 7pm while the shops selling spare parts of farm machinery besides the workshops dealing in farm machinery will be allowed to open only for three hours, that is, from 5am to 8 am. The repair of the farm machinery will be carried out only inside the workshop compound, he added.

Agrawal has directed the chief agriculture officer to ensure that all the directions issued by the government for checking the spread of COVID 19 are complied with by the farmers, farm labourers, combine owners and others at the spare part shops.

“All persons should maintain a distance of at least 1.5-2m among each other. They should wear a mask and gloves during work,” said Agrawal. He added that it is necessary that the machinery is sanitised from time to time. He also directed that not more than 10 persons should gather at one place at any given time.