As the paddy harvesting season begins, the Nalanda district administration has become proactive in curbing incidents of crop residue (stubble) burning. A crucial meeting was held with combine harvester owners at the ATMA auditorium within the District Agriculture Office premises.

The meeting was chaired by District Agriculture Officer Dr. Nitesh Kumar and Deputy Director, Agricultural Engineering, Abhimanyu Kumar Singh. All Assistant Directors of Agricultural Engineering, Block Agriculture Officers, and combine harvester owners from the district were present. Clear instructions were issued that no harvester would operate without a valid pass and a Super Straw Management System (SMS). Strict action will be taken against owners found violating these rules.

Officials urged all harvester owners to complete the prescribed procedures and adhere to the guidelines issued by the agriculture department. Deputy Director Abhimanyu Kumar Singh directed harvester owners to obtain a mandatory declaration form from farmers whose fields they are harvesting. This aims to make farmers aware and responsible for not burning stubble and managing it properly. Applications for issuing valid passes for harvester operations were also received during the meeting.

Officials highlighted that stubble burning increases air pollution, destroys beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and negatively impacts soil fertility. They emphasized the need for scientific management of crop residues. All combine harvester owners were appealed to educate farmers about crop residue management and cooperate with the agriculture department in preventing stubble burning incidents.