What is Stubble Burning?
Stubble burning is a practice where farmers burn the leftover straw from harvested paddy fields to prepare the land for sowing wheat. It is common due to the limited time between the paddy harvest and the wheat planting.
Why Farmers opted for Stubble Burning?
(a) Quick and cost-efficient: It clears the field rapidly and is the least expensive option for farmers.
(b) Weed and pest control: Burning helps in eliminating weeds, slugs, and pests that could damage the next crop.
(c) Reduces nitrogen tie-up: Burning can help control nitrogen immobilization, improving soil nitrogen availability.
Effects of Stubble Burning
(a) Air pollution– It emits toxic pollutants in the atmosphere containing harmful gases. For eg, carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as volatile organic compounds (VOC). The combustion of agricultural residue is a prominent contributor to air pollution in certain regions of northern India.
(b) Soil fertility- Soil becomes less fertile and its nutrients are destroyed when the husk is burnt on the ground.
(c) Heat penetration– It generates heat that penetrates the soil, causing an increase in erosion, loss of useful microbes as well as moisture.
(d) Climate change– The release of toxic gases from stubble burning will increase global warming, further aggravating climate change.
(e) Uncontrolled firing– Risk of fires spreading out of control, could turn into a huge pit of flames.
Government Initiatives
(a) Subsidy for purchase of crop residue management machinery and establishment of custom hiring centres (CHCs) in NCT of Delhi and the States of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
(b) Paddy straw-based pelletization and Torrefaction plants: It may help in addressing the supply chain issues and the issue of open burning of paddy straw in the northern region of the country. In-situ and Ex-situ Crop Residue Management- Supported by CRM Scheme
(c) Commission on Air Quality Management: It aims at better coordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in NCR and adjoining areas.
(d) National Policy for Management of Crop Residue: – In 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture developed the NPMCR to prevent agricultural residue burning and circulated the same to all the states/union territories.
(e) Crop Residue Management Initiative: The CII Foundation’s Crop Residue Management initiative, launched in 2018. It aimed to reduce stubble burning in Punjab and promote sustainable agriculture
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Steps to reduce stubble burning
(a) Promote agri-implements– Punjab has rolled out schemes for providing subsidies for mechanical implements. It can mix the crop residue with soil to improve fertility. Promote co-ownership models for the agri-implements, which can make such implements accessible to farmers.
(b) Foster awareness– Farmers should understand the value of crop residues as well as the use of agricultural implements in extraction and packaging.
(c) Power generation– State governments need to incentivise the establishment of biomass-based power plants through fiscal interventions and prioritization. Example- Biomass co-firing
(d) Promote R&D- Punjab Agricultural University is developing a variant of paddy straw that has lower silica content, thereby making it suitable for utilisation in biomass-based power plants.
(e) Biofuel production– The State governments, along with policy interventions from the Central government, need to incentivise utilisation of biofuels.
(f) Industrial application– Biomass pellets can be sold commercially as the main fuel for industrial boilers and replace coal. Also, Micro-pelletization should be incentivised and its local usage promoted.
(g) Crop residue collection mechanism– Create a uniform decentralised mechanism for the collection, storage, as well as commercial sale of crop residue.
Conclusion
Stubble burning remains a significant environmental challenge in India. Sustainable technologies and alternative uses for crop residue, coupled with robust policies and farmer awareness, can mitigate its adverse effects. Moreover, A multi-stakeholder approach involving farmers, industries, and governments is essential for long-term solutions.