Police urge farmers not to dry food grains on roads

By Our Correspondent,Rautahat, May 11: The practice of drying the harvested crops on the roads has increased the risk of road accidents in the rural areas of Rautahat. The farmers tend to dry the food grains along the main and sub-urban blacktopped roads in the district.

The blacktopped roads become hot on sunny days so crops dry quickly, and farmers prefer drying their produce on the roadside, but the risk of road accidents has increased many folds, so farmers should be deterred from drying their produce on the road, said Sushil Acharya, Police Inspector of District Traffic Office Chandranigahapur.

Jitendra Chaudhary, the former mayor of Chandrapur Municipality said, "The production of hybrid maize planted in February was very high, so the local farmers faced difficulty finding a proper place to dry their crops. The local farmers should be made aware of the dangers of drying their crops along the road."

Although the farmers are aware that their act has blocked the road and has increased the risk of accidents, many farmers continue to dry their crops on the road.

Most of the farmers in the northern part of the district cultivate maize. Farmers adopt modern farming systems and produce at least two quintals of maize in one kattha of land. 

Khadga Bajgain, a local farmer said, "Since the maize planted on two bighas of land produces more than 80 quintals, there is not enough space to dry the harvested maize in the yard, so we are forced to dry it on a black-topped road near our agricultural land."

Farmers from Santapur, Betouna, Mothiyahi, Chandranigahapur, Tekantol, Beldi and Mardhar of Chandrapur Municipality are seen drying their maize on the road. 

Hari Chaudhary, a farmer of Chandrapur Municipality-6 Mothiyahi said, "Maize harvested almost at the same time is shredded through a machine and has to be dried up simultaneously." 

"As there is a lack of space in the courtyard, we are forced to use the road. Maize traders buy our produce directly from the road, so both our time and energy are saved," said Chaudhary.

The security personnel who went on patrol at night were also surprised to see the quantity of dried corn on the road. 

To minimise the occurrences of road accidents, the locals should be prevented from drying their crops on the road. Local bodies should take initiatives to prevent such accidents, said Acharya.