Issues of Stubble Burning

Stubble burning is intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, like paddy, wheat, etc., have been harvested. The practice was widespread until the 1990s when governments increasingly restricted its use.

Why farmers opt for stubble burning:

• Cheap
• Quick and Easy
• Can assist weed, insect, and disease control
• With less income due to crop damage, farmers are likely to be inclined to light up their fields to cut costs and not spend on scientific ways of stubble management.
• The farmers are ill-equipped to deal with waste because they cannot afford the new technology that is available to handle the waste material.
• Reduced nitrogen tie-up

According to the forecasting system, SAFAR, maintained by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the contribution of stubble burning to the worsening air quality was 16%,  relative to other sources such as road dust, vehicular emissions and industrial activities.

Supreme court observation:

• The Supreme Court had appointed retired judge Justice Madan B Lokur to monitor stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh — a key source of the pollution every winter.
• The Centre will bring in a law, via ordinance, to address air pollution as well as check stubble burning in Delhi as well as the surrounding National Capital Region.

Chhattisgarh Model:

An innovative experiment has been undertaken by the Chhattisgarh government by setting up gauthans.

• A Gaughan is a dedicated five-acre plot, held in common by each village, where all the unused stubble is collected through parali daan (people’s donations) and is converted into organic fertilizer by mixing with cow dung and few natural enzymes.
• The scheme also generates employment among rural youth.
• The government supports the transportation of parali from the farm to the nearest gauthan.
• The state has successfully developed 2,000 gauthans.

Causes of stubble burning:

• Late transplantation and consequently late harvesting of paddy in Punjab and Haryana (allegedly due to a conspiracy by the Monsanto company and the Laws enacted by Punjab for the preservation of groundwater), which results in burning of paddy crop residue (stubble) by the farmers in the end of October or November.
• A shorter period of sowing days prohibits transplantation before a notified date, which in turn limits the window available for harvesting paddy to between 15 and 20 days.
• High Silica Content

Effect of stubble burning:

• Stubble burning results in the emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide along particulate matter.
• Soil Fertility
• Heat penetration
• The air in the Indo-Gangetic Plains region of north India has started to become heavy.
• Loss of nutrients
• Reduction in soil structure

steps are being taken to solve the problem of stubble burning:

Biomethanation of rice straw to solve stubble burning

1. In an all India coordinated project, efforts are on to produce bio-gas for kitchen use and quality manure for fields using bio-methanation of rice straw by anaerobic digestion method. Six domestic level paddy straw-based biogas plants have been installed in Punjab for field trials and further study is in progress.
2. R&D project has been supported on refinement and demonstration of integrated process technology for conversion of crop residues into ethanol and methane for use as transport fuels.
3. A major focus on agriculture waste/stubble management (waste to wealth), an alternative to burning, has been taken up under waste management technologies program and proposals are being considered.

A review of the main sources of air pollution measures taken and the progress made by the State Governments and various Ministries was carried out. It was noted that the incidence of stubble burning has reduced by more than 50% in the last two years and the number of Good AQI days has gone up.

Way forward:

1. The industries which are converting this agri-waste/crop residue into wealth in the form of cattle feed or fuel briquettes may also be suitably incentivized and subsidized.
2. Agri waste collection center
3. Subsidies
4. Alternative cropping method
5. Encourage and incentivize the farmers to go for early paddy, so as to give them enough time to harvest and thereafter prepare their fields for the next Rabi crop.
6. Alternative cropping method.
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