North India's winters depict a bleak landscape. Life comes to a complete stop due to dangerous pollution and low visibility. The Hollywood films that predict a global catastrophe periodically reappear in the subconscious. But unlike Hollywood films that just prick our senses, the fog in northern India is real and can be deadly. It is predetermined by the stupidity of numerous ill-advised policy decisions. The restricted strategy of only treating the illness's symptoms or other manifestations without considering the underlying cause is what connects them all. Furthermore, there won't be any noticeable results unless a systems approach is taken to address the crisis because it is a part of a wider socio-ecological system.
While officials assert that they are prepared to handle the recurring public health emergency, stubble burning has returned to northern India this year, alarming the public, officials, and legislators. For the past few years, one of the main causes of air pollution over the national capital region (NCR) and other areas of the Indo-Gangetic plains prior to the start of the winter season has been the practise of stubble burning, which involves setting fire to straw stubble to clear fields before the next crop is planted.
According to the most recent data available from the Punjab Pollution Control Department, there were 650 field fire incidents registered between 15 September and 6 October of this year—more than twice as many as there were 320 during the same time last year. This year, 419 cases were reported from the border district of Amritsar, and 109 cases from Taran Taran. 48 field fire incidents have been registered in Haryana thus far, compared to 24 last year.
Delhi, a thriving international metropolis, is experiencing a growing environmental threat. The volatile patterns of stubble burning in nearby Punjab and Haryana produce a poisonous mixture that looms large over the capital, endangering both its air and its people. Delhi is already struggling with urban pollution, but the unpredictable patterns in burning in its bordering states pose far greater risks. Data from year to year shows a worrying discrepancy. Although some years show hope with less burning, others have unsettling spikes that indicate a more serious effort to control this environmental threat. The effectiveness of current crop-residue control programmes is questioned in light of the sharp fluctuations in the quantities. The data indicates that successful implementation of the procedures in place is just as important as their existence.
The Commission for Air Quality Management was asked by the Supreme Court on October 10 to review the steps it has taken to control pollution in the National Capital Region, particularly as winter draws near, and to submit a report. The season brings with it dangerously low air quality, which is made worse by things like stubble burning. This yearly custom, which has its origins in the rural landscapes of Punjab and Haryana, always casts a pall over Delhi. Recent data presents a concerning image: the fires continue despite sincere attempts to contain the problem, indicating a difficult path ahead for farmers and legislators alike.
NASA Shows the Reality
Images from NASA's Worldview satellite show that stubble burning increased by 740 per cent in Punjab. The pictures showed the peak on October 29, when there were 1,068 farm fire occurrences in the state. The photograph from October 26 appeared to show more farm fires than October 25, according to media reports. The number of fires apparently saw a substantial fall the day after a notable increase on October 27. On October 29, however, there was a spike in agricultural fires. According to media estimates, there were 57 per cent fewer farm fires in Punjab this year between September 15 and October 29 than there were the year before.
According to official data, there were 5,254 agricultural fire occurrences in the state between September 15 and October 29, compared to 12,112 incidences during the same period last year, according to some reports. NASA's satellite photographs of stubble burning, according to the Haryana government, "exposed the apparent discrepancies in the claims made by the governments of Delhi and Punjab regarding the reduction in farm fires in the region."
A Haryana government spokesman pointed out that the Delhi administration continues to accuse Haryana of having more stubble burning incidents, while the Punjab government continuously claims to have fewer. The Punjab government ought to concentrate on lowering the number of stubble burning occurrences in their state rather than levelling charges. In order to do this, the Punjab government ought to think about implementing Haryana's policies and educating farmers in their state about crop residue management in accordance with the subsidies provided to farmers in Haryana, the official informed the media. The burning of paddy straw in Punjab and Haryana is seen to be a significant factor in the concerning rise in air pollution in the nation's capital in October and November.
Root Cause
India's Green Revolution success stories have been Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. As a result, paddy's acreage and yield surged, propelling it to replace legumes as the region's most important kharif crop. However, the problem of burning residue didn't take on its current form until 1986, when mechanised harvesting was introduced in North India's rice-growing regions. Before farming became mechanised, agricultural residue was left in the fields for four to six weeks, during which time it broke down and increased the soil's fertility. The farmer was able to operate on a larger area of land with less time spent in the field thanks to mechanisation. It was well supported by a robust minimum support price (MSP) regime and the availability of infrastructure for water extraction and diversion, which boosted the profitability of paddy cultivation.
This had the effect of causing fields upon fields of foot-long paddy stalks to take over the rural landscape following harvest. Given the time limits before using the same piece of land for the following season, lighting it on fire seemed to be the most practical course of action.
Political Blame Game
Air pollution in Delhi is a major public health crisis, and it has become a political football between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs Delhi, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs the central government of India.
The AAP has accused the BJP of not doing enough to address air pollution in Delhi, particularly from stubble burning in neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana. Stubble burning is a practice by farmers to clear their fields after the rice harvest, and it is a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi, especially in the winter months.
The BJP has countered that the AAP is not doing enough to address air pollution within Delhi itself, and that the AAP is using air pollution as an excuse to shift the blame for its own failures. The BJP has also pointed to the fact that the AAP government has not been able to fully implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which is a set of measures designed to reduce air pollution in Delhi.
The political blame game over air pollution in Delhi has been criticized by environmental experts, who say that it is preventing any real progress from being made on the issue. Experts have also said that the central and Delhi governments need to work together to address air pollution, and that a long-term plan is needed to reduce emissions from all sources, including stubble burning, vehicles, and industry.
Solutions that never works
The central government has been working with the impacted states for years to develop a range of strategies to put an end to stubble burning. It includes the one-time cash pay-out that farmers received in 2019 per the Supreme Court's directive. Due to a lack of funding support from the federal government and the state governments, this endeavour was not sustained. Certain remedies, such as the bio-decomposer created by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), were presented as revolutionary. However, the excitement was tempered by field trials conducted in Punjab both this year and previous year, as it took 25–30 days for the stubble to disappear inside the fields. Consequently, there would be a narrow window between harvesting paddy and planting wheat, which discouraged farmers from implementing it extensively.
Industry-backed solutions were also developed in addition to these. It involves producing power using biogas and employing stubble as a raw material, among other things. The issue, though, is that the amount of stubble they currently generate is not entirely recycled. In Punjab and Haryana, the total amount of stubble generated is 18.5 and seven million tonnes, respectively. This is predicated on the data that these states' agriculture agencies shared.
According to media sources, Punjab's total stubble generation (i.e., 1.1 million tonnes) is unlikely to be reused more than once. However, even if the state is successful in reusing two million tonnes of paddy straw—a prospect that appears doubtful at this point—it will only account for 11 per cent of the straw's overall production.
The government's attempts to address the stubble burning disaster have only taken a limited view of the problem. The primary focus of the activities has been to stop crop residue burning by means of campaigns, fines for farmers who burn stubble, and rewards and recognition for the panchayats who are able to stop the threat.
Other attempts have included managing stubble in-situ by slicing it into little pieces and distributing it across the soil, figuring out different ways to use paddy straw to produce biogas, or combining crop residue pellets with coal to generate electricity. All of these treatments, nevertheless, haven't been able to address the core issue.
Conclusion
At this point, the most important thing to address is: Why cultivate paddy at all? There are significant negative externalities associated with paddy agriculture for the environment. With very little incremental gain, it has led to the depletion of groundwater in broad areas of Haryana and Punjab.
The nation is already self-sufficient in food grains thanks to the record-breaking level of rice output. Furthermore, between 2016 and 2018, the wholesale prices of paddy stayed higher than the minimum support price since Punjab and Haryana have strong procurement systems.
Farmers have every reason to keep cultivating paddy because there is no legislation limiting groundwater extraction, free electricity for agricultural usage is provided by the state governments of Punjab and Haryana, and these factors are combined.
It is urgently necessary to practise mixed cropping and diversify the production of food grains. There is an urgent need to switch from rice to other crops like maize and pulses. In addition to being suitable to the area and water-efficient, these crops will provide a consistent supply of fodder, which is needed in Punjab and Haryana, respectively, to the tune of 10.58 and 9.95 metric tonnes.
Farmers have every reason to keep cultivating paddy because there is no legislation limiting groundwater extraction, free electricity for agricultural usage is provided by the state governments of Punjab and Haryana, and these factors are combined.
Because rice has high silica content, it lacks agricultural residue, yet this would establish a viable circular economy around it. The government ought to give top priority to an incentive-based system that includes improved price signals, a strong marketing infrastructure, and improved procurement guidelines for pulses and maize. The government even sets an MSP for commodities like oilseeds and pulses, although most farmers are ignorant of this. To accelerate the transition away from paddy and disrupt the damaging agriculture-air-water nexus, a concerted effort is required.
By NILABH KRISHNA
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
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