The baler way

THE farm fires in Punjab and other states — a major contributor to the spike in air pollution in Delhi-NCR this time of the year — bear testimony to the rank failure of in-situ methods of crop residue management (CRM), particularly the highly touted Pusa Decomposer. It is claimed that this ‘microbial consortium of fungal species’ accelerates paddy straw decomposition in the field itself, with the straw getting decomposed in 20-25 days after spraying. However, the ground reality is that the decomposer has not turned out to be a silver bullet to tackle the menace of stubble burning. This technology has found few takers in Punjab, which is responsible for the majority of the farm fires. The authorities have neither been able to convince farmers of the biodecomposer’s utility nor make an adequate quantity available for large-scale application.

Various state governments need to acknowledge this bitter truth and pay due attention to ex-situ methods. There is a need to assess the efficacy of the Central scheme being implemented since 2018-19 with the avowed aim of supporting the efforts of the governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to prevent air pollution due to stubble burning and subsidise CRM machinery. Again, Punjab exemplifies the sorry state of affairs. The state that produces around 220 lakh tonnes of paddy stubble annually has barely 2,000 balers (both subsidised and private) to make bales out of crop residue. The machine’s cost varies from Rs 18 lakh to Rs 1 crore, taking it out of reach of most farmers; even the rentals are hardly affordable.

The states need to frame a policy to ensure that the use of hay balers goes hand in hand with the operation of combine harvesters. Paddy harvesting combines without a functional straw management system should not be allowed in the fields. Stubble burning is choking not only the people of Delhi but also of Punjab, Haryana and neighbouring states. A sustained all-out campaign to promote balers can bail out farmers and other harried citizens.

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#Agriculture #Environment #Farm Fires #Pollution