Trouble in the air

Business Standard 9th October 2020 Save

Context: Possible spike in air pollution due to higher incidence of crop residue burning in northern states can exacerbate the prevailing public health crisis.

Concerns related to Stubble burning

Breaching of the anti-pollution under stubble fire-related components: has led to increase in air pollution in the northern Indian regions.

These fires have been estimated to cause between 30 and 45% surge in winter air pollution in the National Capital Region and its adjoining areas in the past few years.

Flaws in the approach: The basic approach to countering this menace gains only limited success.

No novel or out-of-the-box solution is on the cards except experimenting with a new microbial biomass decomposer which failed to catch the farmers’ fancy.

An economic compulsion for the farmers: Most of the eco-friendly means of managing paddy stubble are either cost-intensive (such as the use of machines like happy seeders) or time-consuming (such as biodegradation).

Time available for preparing the fields for the next crop is merely 20-30 days.

Small penalties in case of violations: The fines mooted in the existing anti-pollution laws are mostly less than the cost of removing the stubble manually or mechanically.

Way Forward

Transforming the biomass into an economic good that can yield income for the farmers:

Promote its use as feedstock or fuel for power plants and other industries.
It can also be converted into pulp for making paper, cardboard, disposable cutlery.
Some public- and private-sector companies, including National Thermal Power Corporation, are procuring crop residues for use as fuel, thus converting this waste into wealth.

Support Start-ups and other entrepreneurs: Start-ups and other entrepreneurs interested in collecting, processing, and selling the crop residues should get government backing and hand-holding.