Implement concrete policy in everyone’s interest

All stakeholders responsible

Stubble burning is a very serious issue and it is difficult to point a finger at one particular group. Our farmers have small land holdings and they don't have the wherewithal to dispose of the stubble and there are no answers even from our governments.

The Centre and state governments need to sit down, work out a strategy and allocate funds for the collection of stubble and it can be conveniently converted into low-cost packing material for packing products. Farmers are politically aligned and settle scores with the government rather than working with the government to find solution to the problem. The entire system has been muddled by our political system.

Major Gurdeep Samra

Less options available

Acting tough on the clear directions of the Delhi High Court to the Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to ensure their action plan to stop the practice of stubble burning, both the Punjab and Haryana Governments have imposed a ban on stubble burning, but many farmers are still continuing the banned practice, leading to health risks and adversely affecting soil health as difficulties lie in implementation in the states. Farmer unions are justified in giving a call to defy the ban on stubble burning to some extent because state governments fail to provide even an alternative mechanism to high cost of agriculture residue machines, which can only be operated by expensive tractors. In the absence of financial aid to make alternative arrangements, farmers are left with no other option but to burn stubble. State governments have failed to prepare a draft policy for the management and utilisation of leftover straw/stubble. Further, agricultural field burning which can be defined as "the burning of vegetative debris from agricultural operations necessary for disease or pest control, crop propagation, or crop rotation, or where identified as a best management practice" has remained a topic of debate. Experts say with the burning of 1 metric tonne waste straw, the soil loses 6-7 kg nitrogen, 1-1.7 kg phosphorus, 14-25 kg potassium and 1.2-1.5 kg sulphur. Besides this, the heat arising from the burning residue also elevates soil temperature, causing the death of soil organisms such as fungi, pests and reptiles that are otherwise beneficial for crops. Moreover, rise in the concentration of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide also triggers respiratory and heart problems. To seize the menace of haze due to stubble burning, state governments needs to sensitise farmers with the help of media, gram panchayats and corporations either to put the straw back into the earth with the help of seeders to enhance soil nutrients or help the government for its alternative uses such as generation of energy through the installation of biomass-based power plants, production of ethanol, paper and packaging material, to benefit them and protect the environment. Moreover, state governments with sufficient infrastructure also need to evolve a mechanism for the collection of crop residue, its transportation and utilisation for appropriate purposes. Furthermore, provisions for proper compensation or subsidy must be there to cover the losses of farmers for the successful implementation of ban on stubble burning in the state.

Ravi Chander Garg, Ludhiana

Stop taking government for granted

Doubtlessly, agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and farmers who grow grains are regarded as "annadatas". But due to modern techniques and selfish motives, our "annadatas" are recklessly deteriorating essentialities such as water, air etc. (a sine qua non for human survival). To reap more harvest, they are using synthetic manures/ fertilisers which ultimately ruin the quality of water, juxtaposed to it they burn stubble, which deteriorates the quality of air. Not only does this screw up the quality of air, but also leads to chronic respiratory disorders. Moreover, farmers are seeking government's help to waive of long outstanding debts, owing to which so many debt-ridden farmers are committing suicides. However, the disposal of stubble has become a hot topic. Despite every possible step made by the government, farmers are openly declining subsidies being offered by the government. They expect the government to waive of their debts. But they don't try to understand its aftermath which is a huge burden on the government. Farmers ought to make an attempt to save our environment by not burning stubble. Rather, they should go for some eco-friendly techniques of disposing stubble such as composting. With this they'll get home-made manures and revive the fertility of the soil. The proverb - A stitch in time saves nine - fits best in this case. Agricultural institutions should devise new techniques to dispose of the residual left after the cutting off harvest. Organising various seminars and workshops can also help to a great extent.

Harshdeep Kaur, Khanna

Farmers' cooperation required

Punjab was considered the wheat bowl of India as per hectare productivity of crop was more than other states of India. Besides other crops, Punjab mainly depends on two crops - rice and wheat. A major part of the population of Punjab depends upon agriculture. More than 75 per cent population gets its livelihood from agriculture in Punjab. The suicide rate is very high in case of farmers in Punjab. It is difficult for small and marginal farmers to meet both ends. They are in debt trap. Sometimes they are unable to cover the cost of crops. So, they start taking short cuts as in case of burning stubble. Punjab generates 19.7 million tonne of paddy straw on 30 lakh hectares of agricultural land every year. Of this, 4.3 (21.82 per cent) million tonne is used in biomass-based power plants, cardboard mills and as animal fodder. This leaves 15.4 million tonne of paddy straw unused and ends up being burnt, (data from internet). Stubble burning produces methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide and particulates, which affect human health. It is estimated that India annually emits 1,44,719 mg of total particulate matter from open burning of stubble. This stubble burning is also the main cause of poor air quality, which is especially bad for the elderly, children and people with chronic respiratory conditions. Stubble burning is not justified. The government should bear the cost to clear fields of farmers to sow the next crop. The government should use stubble to produce electricity. This should be converted into fertiliser. Government should also compensate Rs7,000 per hectare to remove paddy stubble. Stubble burning should stop with the implementation of concrete policy with accurate planning and cooperation of farmers to avoid its ill-effects.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Alternatives must for farmers

Farmers start burning crop residue as they prepare their farms for the next crop. An estimated 20 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt in Punjab alone. The concentration of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide levels in the air shoots up by 70, 7 and 2.1 per cent, respectively. The state government is taking strict action against farmers, who burn crop residue after the decision of the National Green Tribunal. But the government should first come out with an alternative and then ask farmers to refrain from burning crop residue. The government has failed to arrange necessary equipment and machinery required from ploughing paddy straw back into the fields. Even the NGT has ordered the state government to provide necessary equipment and give subsidy and insist farmers themselves to clear farms. If farmers alone have to dispose of paddy residue through machines themselves, it will create an additional financial burden of approximate Rs5, 000 per acre. Farmer suicide is already a big problem for the state government and this additional burden will exaggerate the problem.

Dr Jasdeep Kaur

Farmer unions must shoulder responsibility

Farmer unions are not fully justified in giving a call to defy

the ban imposed on stubble burning on the argument of demand of alternative method of vacating the land for planting the next crop and on the demand of monetary compensation.

In this connection, the PAU has proposed at least 3-4 reliable options for scientific handling of paddy stubble in the fields of farmers, but farmer unions are not heeding to these to resolve the issue. Burning of straw in the field is certainly a bad practice. This crop residue must be added back to the soil as this will help in enriching the soil by increasing organic matter content and thereby enriching nutrient supplying capacity of the soil. This will also encourage organic farming and a healthy agriculture in the country. Further, burning of crop residue adds smoke and pollutes the atmosphere, which in turn is injurious for the health of the general public. It is desirable that the farmers unions must feel concerned about the disadvantages of burning crop residue, shoulder their responsibility to save the atmosphere from pollution in the interest of people’s health and stop burning crop residue in fields.

Dr G Dev, Kitchlu Nagar