Less Pollution More Soil Fertility

Context: Stubble burning practice must be curbed in order to prevent its adverse impact on the environment, health and soil fertility.

An Overview of Stubble Burning in India 

• Definition: A practice of farmers setting fire to plant debris, that remains in farms after harvest. 
• Origins: Green Revolution (rice and wheat production) and mechanized harvesting; Prior to the green revolution, farmers relied on manual harvesting and used to till plant debris back into the soil.
• Factors: 

• Stubble burning is a low-cost and speedy solution for removing stalk.

• The limited-time period between harvesting one crop and sowing another increases reliance on stubble burning.

• Environmental Impacts

• Emission of harmful gases: including nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.

• Rise in air pollution: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) report shows that air pollution in Delhi is 20 times higher than the safe threshold level of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

• Impact on soil fertility: It destroys organic fertilizers and reduces groundwater levels.

• Health Impacts: Increased impact during pandemic as It could weaken the lungs and can increase susceptibility to disease. 

Measures taken by various governments

• Legislative measures:
• Punjab government had banned stubble burning in 2013.

• Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981: prescribes stubble burning as a crime.

• Judicial Measures:
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned stubble burning in 2015:  and directed government to provide equipment like happy seeders and rotavators.

• Madan B.Lokur Commission: appointed by the Supreme Court in Aditya Dubey v. Union of India case, to monitor and prevent stubble burning activities in Punjab, Haryana and U.P. 

• Technological Measures:

• Induction of Happy Seeders: According to International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, happy seeders can improve agricultural productivity (10% to 15%) while reducing labour costs and allowing the soil to become more fertile.

• PUSA Decomposer, developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI): is a set of four tablets made by extracting fungi strains.
• It will help farmers to shred the straw, spray a fungal strains solution, and mix it with the soil for decomposition. 
• It has the potential to reduce air pollution and increase soil fertility.

• Administrative Measures: 

• Setting up Custom Hiring Centres (by Punjab and Haryana): will provide farmers with machinery such as the happy seeder, rotavator and paddy straw chopper.
• Development of a monitoring app: to detect and notify authorities.
• Central Ordinance to set up a permanent commission for air quality management will replace the Madan B. Lokur Commission.

Conclusion: A revolution in timely stubble removal is the need of the hour.