Rain delays paddy-harvesting in parts of Punjab; farm fires to rebound: Experts

PTI

New Delhi, September 30

With a prolonged spell of rain delaying paddy-harvesting in some regions of Punjab, farmers are more likely to burn stubble to make up for the lost time and quickly prepare their fields for the next crop, experts say.   

Another weather system is predicted to bring rain in parts of north India between October 4 and October 8, which could further delay harvesting in some areas, forecasters said. 

"The rain (last week) delayed paddy-harvesting in several areas, especially in Amritsar and Tarn Taran regions of Punjab, where farmers grow potato and peas before wheat. It is not an ideal situation," said Dr Mahesh Narang, the head of the farm engineering department at the Punjab Agricultural University.

"The delay in paddy-harvesting has further shortened the window to prepare fields for the next crop. So, there is a high probability these farmers may burn the paddy straw instead of managing it through machinery," he explained.

“Stubble-burning begins around September 20 but the number of fire events remains low till October 15. The rain last week suppressed farm fires in Punjab and Haryana and kept air pollution in check in Delhi-NCR,” said Vinay Sehgal, principal scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

According to the data from the 'Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space', not a single stubble-burning incident has taken place in Punjab in the last six days.

Three residue-burning events took place on September 23; 30 on September 22; 56 on September 21 and 10 on September 20.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather, said a cyclonic circulation over the west-central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a low-pressure area and move in the northwest direction up to Madhya Pradesh.

It could lead to rain in Delhi-NCR and some parts of Haryana and Punjab between October 4 and October 8.

“If it rains next week, farm fires will shift towards mid-October, increasing their number in that period and compounding the impact,” Sehgal said.

Narang, however, hoped for better results this time.

"Overall, we believe the number of farmers opting for in-situ management of stubble will increase this time unlike the last two years," he said.  

Experts say farmers' protests in 2020 and the assembly elections last year were major reasons behind the spike in farm fires in the state.

The Punjab government will distribute 56,000 additional machines at subsidised rates for in-situ management of stubble this season. A total of 90,422 machines have already been provided since 2018.

The PAU professor said a repeat of the air quality crisis seen on Diwali and the subsequent days last year in Delhi-NCR is unlikely.

"Last year, three factors combined to hazardous air quality in Delhi-NCR -- farm fires, firecrackers and unfavourable meteorology.

"Diwali is on October 24 this year and stubble-burning peaks in November. This is a crucial factor. So, it may not lead to a severe situation on Diwali provided all other measures are followed strictly," he said.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.