Stubble Burning

Context

Recently, the Delhi government announced that it would spray Pusa bio-decomposer free of cost over 5,000 acres of paddy fields in the city as this would help in controlling stubble burning and air pollution during winter.

What is Stubble Burning?

• Stubble burning is the intentional burning or setting on fire of crop residue to remove them from the field in order to sow the next crop.
• Leaving stubble on the field will invite termites and other pests which can damage the subsequent crop.
• In Punjab and Haryana, farmers burn the stubble (rice chaff) left after the rice harvest so that the field may be readied for the next Rabi (winter) crop like wheat.
• In these areas, it begins around October, the same time at which the southwest monsoon withdraws.
• Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) makes stubble burning a crime.
• Additionally, it was notified as an offence under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Despite being banned, the practice continues in India, where farmers cite a lack of viable alternatives to clear their fields of stubble.

Effects of Stubble Burning

• Pollution: Emits large amounts of toxic pollutants in the atmosphere which contain harmful gases like methane (CH4), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
• These pollutants disperse in the surroundings, may undergo a physical and chemical transformation and eventually adversely affect human health by causing a thick blanket of smog.
• Soil Fertility: Burning husk on the ground destroys the nutrients in the soil, making it less fertile.
• Heat Penetration: The heat generated by stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the loss of moisture and useful microbes.

Alternatives to Stubble Burning

• Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) machine: One such method is using a Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) machine, which can uproot the stubble and also sow seeds in the area cleared. The stubble can then be used as mulch for the field.
• In-situ treatment of stubble: The government is currently giving equipment to farmers to mix the stubble back into the soil so that they do not have to burn it.
• Ex-situ treatment: Under this, some companies have started collecting stubble for their use, but we need more action on this front.
• Changing cropping pattern: It is the deeper and more fundamental solution.
• Subsidise crops other than paddy, the source of most stubble burning. Policy and money should incentivise farmers in the region to plant more fruits and vegetables. India needs more vitamins and protein rather than wheat and rice." This will create more greenery and since vegetable and fruit crops don't leave stubble, it'll bring down the number of open fires.