A total of 11,000 tons of agricultural leftovers have been collected from different sites in Mansoura city, Dakahlia in a bid by the government to confront the “black clouds,” announced the Ministry of Environment.
Each fall, farmers tend to get rid of rice straw by burning them, creating a thick, dark smoke that blankets sky for weeks later. This annual phenomenon is called “black clouds,” and is said to result in harmful effects on respiratory system, beside its negative impact on the environment.
The government has recently moved to manually collect the straw from farmers in exchange for money, press it into piles and send them to factories to be fertilizers.
The Environment Ministry also keeps an eye on the agricultural sites via satellites, where violators who are seen burning leftovers are fined.
