The Punjab government has decided to ban the use of polythene bags in the state. The government has proposed that Punjab would be made a plastic free state to protect the environment. The government has enacted the Punjab Plastic Carry Bag (Manufacture, Usage and Disposal ), Act, 2005, which was notified on November 16, 2005.

Patiala: The Bhakra Mail Line is falling apart. Deprived of repairs since 1992, its banks have begun eroding and in some stretches, have been washed away. A breach is imminent if embankments are not mended urgently.

In its bid to conserve and replenish water resources in the state, the Punjab government has made it mandatory to make prior arrangements for setting-up water recharging systems at time of building of any house, factory or any complex.

Punjab power consumers are riding high as far as power supply by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) is concerned. However, Haryana

Patiala: The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has confirmed that oil spillage in the Ghanauli drain, which connects to the Satluj, occurred not because of negligence but was an accidental breakdown of metallic pipeline of furnace oil.

Sources in the PSEB said the staff of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant was taking measures to avoid such incidents in future.

KALOMAJRA( PATIALA): For the past year and a half, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner Y S Matta is doing organic farming on his 30 acres of land in Kalomajra village. While he is successfully cultivating wheat and paddy, he also has plans to grow vegetables and flowers in a similar manner.

Patiala: Directly sown paddy, sans the troublesome puddling exercise, could prove to be a boon for farmers and lead to saving of as much as upto Rs 7,000 per acre for farmers of Punjab.

Punjab has lifted as much as 12.45 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat from all over the state, after a record 15.17 lakh MT arrival of wheat due to early crop this year. This was stated by D S Guru, principal secretary to chief minister, while inspecting the various mandis in Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala and Sangrur districts, on Monday.

Govt agencies assessing loss

Fatehgarh Sahib/Rajpura/ Khanna/Patiala: Widespread rains and squall damaged ready-to-harvest and harvested wheat crop in various villages of Fatehgarh Sahib, Rajpura, Khanna and Patiala.

Agriculture department officials say the damage to this extent was reported around 10 years ago.

Light to moderate rain accompanied by hailstorm at some places in Punjab has devastated wheat and other crops in about 50-60 villages.