It is that time of the year again. With farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh refusing to stop burning paddy crop stubble – the part of the crop that is left after the harvesting – residents of the National Capital Territory Region, which includes Delhi, are already suffering from the health-related after-effects of sharp rise in air pollution due to stubble burning. Visibility of roads is also reduced due to smog.
In a region that is already battling toxic air, stubble burning has collateral impact. According to estimates, over 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble is burnt across these states before sowing of the wheat crops. These fires emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide among other gases.
Naturally, Delhi's air quality turns worse. Despite a prohibition on burning of crop residue, most farmers continue to flout the law, finding it the most economical and quicker form of disposal of stubble.
DNA travelled across Haryana and Punjab to check why the problem refuses to go away. About 65 kms from Chandigarh, in Patiala district, the home district of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, farmers are gearing up to burn the stubble.
This is despite the fact that in earlier years, FIRs have been registered against erring farmers and penalties have been imposed.
As harvesting begins on 29 lakh hectares of land in Punjab this October, farmers have threatened to set fire to nearly 19.7 million tonne of paddy stubble which is likely to be generated. With government and farmers still at loggerheads and unable to find a cost-effective solution to prevent stubble burning, a thick blanket of smog has already begun to envelop the northern states.
"The problem is herculean, since the time lag is too small. In 20 days, farmers have to clear 29 lakh hectares of the land of the crop residues after harvesting and sow the next crop," says K S Pannu, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board.
Though the Punjab government has mandated the use of Super Straw Management System (SMS) Combine Harvesters as part of an action plan to stop farmers from burning the stubble, the plan is clearly not working.
"The additional machinery costs Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 are borne by state government. We are propagating use of other machines on large scale, including mulcher, cutters, reversible ploughs, happy-seeder, which negate the need for straw burning. It is a matter of personal will," Pannu elaborates.
But, farmers say this, apart from being costly, is a time-consuming process and delays sowing.
"After combined harvestor, we are required to use cutter (costs Rs 1 lakhs), mulchur (Rs 1.7 lakhs) and hydraulic reversible plough (Rs 2.60 lakhs) and tractor with at least 65 hp (around Rs 10 lakhs). Even if the machinery is provided, a farmer has to incur an additional cost of Rs 6,500 per acre for stubble management. How will a farmer manage the additional cost?" says Balbir Singh Rajjewal, president, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajjewal).
With the ideal period of sowing of wheat in October, farmers are racing against time to clear their fields for the next crop. The period is lesser for potato growers.
"We have only 20 days and any delay affects crop yield. The government tells us not to burn stubble, because it causes pollution. We agree. But provide us a cost-effective alternative," says Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU-Dhakaunda).
The second alternative is the use of rotavater and baler which windrows the crop, but also binds it into compact bundles, which can then be sold for industrial use. However, out of the total paddy straw, only 21.8 per cent is being consumed in biomass based projects, power-houses, paper mills and animal fodder.
Farmers have demanded a compensation of Rs 200 per quintal of paddy straw not to burn stubble, a demand which is yet to find favour with the cash-strapped government.
"The time-lag between harvesting and sowing of next crop is too small and until we provide farmers with a convenient, cost-effective and time-saving alternative, farmers will not be convinced," says agriculture expert Dr Devinder Sharma.
"The average monthly income of the farmer is roughly Rs 3,400 per hectare. Rather than penalising the farmers or compelling them to use of five more machines which will only add to the financial burden, the government needs to work on devising better technology or alternate ways of using the crop residue in generating biomass," adds Dr Sharma.
PUNJAB:
Area under Paddy Cultivation: 29 lakh hectares
Amount of paddy straw generated every year: 19.7 million tonne
2016:
Number of stubble burning incidents: 10,905 (during wheat harvesting), 1,755 (during paddy harvesting)
Total number of FIRs registered: 255
Total amount of penalty (environmental compensation) collected: Rs 18.07 lakhs (during wheat harvesting), Rs 14.05 lakhs (during paddy harvesting)
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