Taking a giant step in fulfilling Capt Amarinder Singh’s mission of a Tandarust Punjab, the government is all set to banish dust pollution from the grain markets of the state.This recurring pollution is the main cause of respiratory and lung diseases among labourers , farmers, arhtiyas and those living in the vicinity of the grain markets.Under this initiative, the Punjab Pollution Control Board has developed certain types of machines that control the dust particles which pollute the air during the cleaning process of crops. These machines will help to keep the environment healthy inside and outside the mandis.Earlier, when the crops arrived in the grain markets of the state, lot of dust was flowing during cleansing process. The dust not only increases the pollution but it is also caused the spread of respiratory, allergy or lung disease among the labourers, farmers, commission agents as well as the people living near the grain markets. Now the pollution control board has developed such type of machine, which does not allow dust to flow in the air.
Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu said that the board took air samples from 10 main grain markets of the state and found that RPMs. (Respiratory Particulate Matter) was 5 to 8 times more than from prescribed limit of 100 microgram per cubic meter. He said that this dust pollution was a major danger, which was urgently needed to curb out. After discussions with the farmers, commission agents and other stakeholders, the board has developed a dust collector, which will install on mechanical grain cleaners. These dust collectors can preserve 80 to 90 percent of the dust particles.It may be mentioned here that there are 50,000 mechanical grain cleaners in the grain markets of Punjab and six workers works on single machine. Thus three lakh workers are affected by dust pollution. With dust mounting machines fitted on Mechanical Grain Cleaners, 90% dust will accumulate in it, thereby helping to keep the environment clean. This machine was tested in Asia's largest grain market Khanna, which was successful. Board is now taking steps to make this machine mandatory on mechanical grain cleaners in all the grain markets.nvironment Minister Mr. Om Prakash Soni has congratulated the pollution control board on this remarkable achievement. He appealed to the board to continue such efforts so that the 'Tandarust Mission' can achieve its desired results.