Orchard waste burning goes on despite hazards

It’s more than 15 years since Shiv Pratap Bhimta, an apple grower from Kotkhai in district Shimla, has been raising awareness against burning orchard waste like twigs, leaves, bushes, etc. He has also written to the local administration, pollution control board, state government and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban this practice. The result, though, hasn’t been encouraging. Apple growers continue to burn their orchard waste.

Advertisement

“Despite having put in so much effort, this menace has grown over the years. Barring a handful of apple growers, everyone sets fire to the orchard waste, leaving hills and valleys under a thick cover of smoke during the winters,” said Bhimta, who has been raising the issue through Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti, a NGO formed by him and other like-minded orchardists. “Having exhausted all options at the administration and government level, we have decided to approach the court to seek a complete ban on the practice and save our environment and horticulture,” he said.

According to the apple growers, the large-scale burning of the orchard waste in winters is wreaking havoc on environment. The apple belts have seen scanty snowfall over the past few years and many growers blame indiscriminate burning of orchards waste as one of the major reasons for this big and worrying change in the weather cycle.

According to a weather official, the large-scale burning of biomass increases the carbon quantity in the environment, slightly increasing the surface temperature in that area. “In the long run, high carbon emission can have some affect on the local weather,” the official said.

Besides, the small orchard fire is one of the major causes of the huge and uncontrollable forest in the region, which causes even greater damage to the environment and flora and fauna. “If you ask me, 90 per cent forest fires start due to orchard fires. Often, houses are also gutted. A neighbourhood village was destroyed due to an orchard fire lit by someone down the hill,” said Bhimta. Besides, the heavy layer of smoke causes health issues to people, especially to those having pulmonary problems, during the winters.

Growers say that it is due to sheer convenience that the majority resort to the burning of orchard waste despite the threat it poses to the environment and fruit cultivation. “Pruning of apple trees is an annual affair and the bud wood waste has to be disposed of. Burning it is the cheapest and the quickest way to do so,” said Harish Chauhan, convener of Sanyukt Kisan Manch. “The government should offer subsidies on equipment like wood chipper and shredders. It will encourage the growers to turn the waste into manure by composting it instead of burning it,” said Chauhan.

A few environment-friendly growers are already using the waste for manure. “I dig up a large hole in the orchard and put the entire waste into it. Gradually, it turns into a high quality manure,” said Bhimta.