The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has diverted the heat from stubble burning to paddy cleaning.
Making it clear that the cleaning task was a dirty process resulting in “ultra-dangerous” degradation of air quality in the State’s grain markets, the Board has asked the State Mandi Board to take immediate steps to maintain air quality in mandis.
Punjab is already under fire for not been able to effectively curb the incidences of stubble burning contributing not only to high level of pollution in the State, but also in the neighbouring areas, including the national capital Delhi and Pakistan’s lahore city.
Now, the new study has shown that the dust generated in grain markets during the paddy cleaning process increased the respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) value to the “ultra-dangerous” levels during 2 pm and 10 pm.
The air monitoring study was conducted by the PPCB with respect to RSPM in the prominent grain markets, including Khanna, Jagraon, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Kotakpura, Dhanaula and Malerkotla on October 26 and 27.
The main focus of the study was to assess the contribution of the dust generated during the paddy cleaning process in the grain markets on nearby ambient air quality.
The study pointed that the maximum eight times (approximately) and minimum five times increase in RSPM as compared to the permissible value of 100ug/m3) was found in grain markets. Such higher values of RSPM in the mandis represent the severe air pollution level in the areas of grain markets.
The maximum increase was found in Jalandhar mandi (7.8 times) followed by Kotakpura mandi (6.9 times), and Amritsar (6.6 times). The least increase in RSPM value was found in Malerkotla (five times)
Pointing that hazardous levels of pollution may result in serious diseases or health problems, the Board has shot off a communique to the Punjab State Agriculture Marketing Board to take appropriate action to maintain atleast moderate ambient air quality in grain markets.
“The labour working in mandis, farmers visiting mandis for selling their produce, shopkeepers, commission agents and their workers engaged in the sale and purchase process of produce or agro inputs and employees of food procurement agencies as also citizens residing around the mandis are severely affected by such high hazardous resulting mainly in asthama, bronchitis, emphysema, cardio vascular diseases, accelerated aging of lungs, loss of lung capacity and decreased lung infections, shortened life span, and restricted cognitive development of children,” read the PPCB letter.
The Board has suggested installation of dust collection system at the exhaust of mechanical food grain cleaners. “The dust through this system should be properly bagged and sent back in the trollies of the farmers to be mixed in the fields as it contains various organic and inorganic elements which can enrich the soil quality,” it added.
The Board also added that the system will also help in automatic removal of dust material from the mandis.
It also suggested that road and pavements, in and around the grain markets, should be properly cleaned daily after sprinkling water.
The green belt should be maintained around the periphery of the grain markets, so that tree cover can effectively act to arrest the dust particles, the letter added.