Why in news?
- Paddy stubble burning is found to be a major contributor to Delhi’s air pollution.
- Bans and fines are unlikely to be effective.
- To devise a policy with a chance to succeed, one needs to understand the reasons why farmers prefer burning.
Why stubble burning is bad?
- It causes smoke and particulate pollution that can move over long distance.
- It also implies loss of nutrients in soil.
- One tonne of straw when burnt releases 3 kg of particulate matter, 60 kg of carbon monoxide, 1,460 kg of carbon dioxide, 199 kg of ash and 2 kg of sulphur dioxide.
- In Punjab alone, 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt every year, generating 45 million tonnes of particulates.
- Even after a stiff fine by Punjab and Haryana farmers still chose the option stubble burning.
Why farmers choose stubble burning?
- When manually harvested, the crops can be cut at the bottom and the stalks could be sent for other uses such as paper mills, animal bedding, etc.
- But manual harvesting has become very expensive as labourers charge around Rs 4,000/acre and take three to four days.
- So at present, paddy harvesting is done by combine harvester machine, which finishes it in half an hour and charges Rs 1,200/acre.
- But it leaves two thirds of the stalks on the ground.
- So stubble burning is the cheapest and quickest way to get their fields ready in time for the sowing of next crop.
- It kills weeds including those resistant to herbicides.
- It also kills slugs and other pests.
What are the alternate uses of stubble?
- Properly cut Stubble can be used to make bio-char or cellulosic ethanol, burn in a power plant or plant the next crop without tillage.
- Bio-char is a fine-grained, carbon-rich, porous product remaining after straw has been subjected to pyrolysis at low temperatures in an environment with little or no oxygen.
- Bio-char can improve water retention and increased soil surface area when used with other fertilisers.
What can be a viable solution?
- A farmer’s economic compulsions dominate his decision to burn stubble.
- Incentives from power generators and ethanol manufactures to farmers bringing stubble will provide solution for this.
- Super SMS (straw management system) is an attachment that fits onto the combine harvesters for paddy, spreads residue evenly over the field.
- It should be deployed while cutting the stubbles.
- Initiatives should be taken to market biochar as a nutrient and private players should be involved for the infrastructures required.
Source: Indian Express
