OUR Project

To create a model to curb the problem of stubble burning.

How have we approached the problem ?

DATA COLLECTION

We divided our data collection phase into the following 4 parts :

1.Brief History of Stubble Burning - Why is it practiced?

2.Existing Solutions to the problem of Stubble Burning

3.Effects of Stubble Burning

4.Geographical Aspects of Stubble Burning

BRIEF HISTORY OF STUBBLE BURNING - WHY IS IT PRACTICED ?

CHANGE IS DIFFICULT

“I don’t remember a time when we have not burned [stubble] in our 12 acres of land,” said Harminder Singh (name changed), a 32-year-old resident of Tarn Taran’s Golwara village. “I know it destroys soil nutrients, but it is not easy to change.”

Harminder wants to buy a Happy Seeder but only sees it “as an additional source of income [in the form of rent paid by other users]”. Excess moisture has so far prevented him from burning this year’s paddy residue, but he told us he intended to burn it “in the next few days”. Like the other 11 paddy farmers we spoke to, Gurjinder is aware that burning residue degrades soil health; yet he and six others were likely to do so this year. The force of habit, coupled with risk aversion, has made many farmers reluctant to try better crop residue management practices.

In the 1960s, as part of the Green Revolution, farmers in Punjab and Haryana were encouraged to do wheat-paddy crop rotation to make India self-reliant in grain production.

As a result, and because of assured procurement of rice and subsidies, rice acreage increased.

The Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act (2009) made it mandatory for farmers to transplant paddy late during the Kharif season to prevent loss of water.

This gives the farmers very little time between harvesting the rice crop and preparing the field for the next winter crop.

Hence, stubble burning is a quick, cheap and easy way to clear the field of any rice chaff residue.

One reason for the large quantity of rice stubble left behind after harvesting is the increased modernisation and mechanisation of agriculture. Mechanised harvesting extracts the rice grains only leaving behind a huge residue. Manual harvesting is not an option for farmers because of the huge labour charges and the increased time taken.

Earlier, the stubble used to be used by farmers as hay to keep animals or homes warm, and even for cooking. However, these uses of stubble have now become outdated.

Also, rice straw is not considered suitable as fodder for animals because of its high silica content (this is true for the non-basmati variety of rice).

Despite the Punjab government making available tractor-mounted ‘happy seeders’ to cut down the rice stubble and sow wheat seeds simultaneously, many farmers find the prices of these machines or their rents prohibitive. So, they continue to burn stubble.

To use a ‘happy seeder’ machine, farmers must shell out Rs.1000 per acre of land as machine rent and a further Rs.2000 for diesel.

A few other machines/devices have been introduced by the government. However, many farmers cite suitability as an issue.

Also, stubble burning requires only a matchbox whereas the adoption of these machines incurs additional costs for the farmers.

- NEHA RATAKONDA

EFFECTS OF STUBBLE BURNING

1. Gas Pollutants

CO2, CO, NOX, SOX, CH4,

PH10, PH2.5 (Particulate Matter)

Burning of stubble poses a serious threat to the air quality of the exposed environment.
Burning can release many years of stored C02 into the atmosphere in a very short amount of time.
Increased ozone pollution.
Air pollution poses a grave threat to human health and wellbeing leading to a rise in mortality and morbidity rates in many parts of the world. According to WHO, toxic air, as a result of pollution, results in the death of about 7 million people in the world annually .

2. 63 Mt of Crop Stubble Produced Annually

3.4 Mt of CO
0.1 Mt of NOX
91 Mt of CO2
0.6 Mt of CH4
1.2 Mt of PM
Elevated levels of Nitrogen Oxide can cause damage to the human respiratory tract and increase a person’s vulnerability to, and the severity

of, respiratory infections and asthma. Long- term exposure can cause chronic lung disease.

Sulphur dioxide affects the respiratory system, particularly lung function, and can irritate the eyes. Sulphur dioxide irritates the respiratory tract and increases the risk of tract infections. It causes coughing, mucus secretion and aggravates conditions such as asthma and chronic bronchitis.
High levels of methane can reduce the amount of oxygen breathed from the air. This can result in mood changes, slurred speech, vision problems, memory loss, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing and headache. In severe cases, there may be changes in breathing and heart rate, balance problems, numbness, and unconsciousness.
The states most affected by the severe pollution are Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (U.P), Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, and West Bengal. These states are also the most agriculturally productive in India . Punjab, for example, is sometimes regarded as the country's breadbasket and provides about 30% of the country's grain supply. Survey has shown that U.P has the highest number of farmers counting to about 23.8 million.

3. More austere in India , due to intensive rice- wheat rotation system (generates large amount of stubble)

4. 352 Mt of stubble generated in India annually. (22% is Wheat stubble, 34% is Rice Stubble)

5. Common health conditions:

Skin and Eye irritation.
Severe Neurological , cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases.
Asthma
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Bronchitis
Lung Capacity loss
Emphysema etc.

6. Leads to an increase in mortality rate. (Due to prolonged exposure to high pollution). Also , black soot generated during stubble burning results in poor visibility (Increased Road accidents)

7. There is also risk of fire spreading out of control during stubble burning. Many farmers have even lost their lives to it.

8. The harsh haze observed over South Asia during the winter season has been linked to biomass burning as it coincides with the stubble burning periods. In India, New Delhi, and the other NCR (National Capital Region) cities have been experiencing harsh pollution from smog and haze caused by various anthropogenic activities and lower temperatures during the winter especially during October to December months every year.

9. Affects soil fertility (thru destruction of nutrients)

The heat from burning paddy straw penetrates 1cm into the soil, elevating the temperature to 33.8 to 42.2 degree Celsius. This kills the bacterial and fungal population critical for a fertile soil.
Burning of crop residue causes damage to other micro-organisms present in the upper layer of the soil as well as its organic quality. Due to the loss of ‘friendly’ pests, the wrath of ‘enemy’ pests has increased and as a result, crops are more prone to disease. The solubility capacity of the upper layers of soil have also been reduced. Also leads to an increase in erosion.

10. Affects economic development

Air pollution in general affects economic development both on the local and regional scale. It claims approximately 5 trillion dollars from the global economy annually .
The poor visibility in the NCR as a result of air pollution has caused many people to migrate out of the region especially during severe pollution episodes which conversely affects tourism, especially in Delhi.
A survey on tourism, in 2018, reported that the inflow of tourists into Delhi has decreased by about 25-30 % as a result of air pollution . Air pollution, therefore, has a great impact on tourism and economic development.
The productivity of workers in different disciplines is also affected by air pollution through sickness and poor visibility

11. Affects Climate

Emissions from stubble fires have a direct effect on weather and climate through the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) which may potentially lead to global warming. About 17% to 32% of the total annual greenhouse gas emissions in the world are contributed by the agricultural sector
India contributes about 12.2% to the global greenhouse gas emissions, which is about 658.823 Tg CO2 equivalent.
It was reported that India lost about 36% of its expected annual wheat yield in 2018, which was linked to the poor quality of air and change in the weather patterns.

CONCLUSION:

Large-scale rice-wheat crop rotation system practiced in India has resulted in the generation of significant quantity of crop stubble often more than the quantity of grains harvested. A considerable portion of these stubbles is usually burnt on-field to clear the farm for the next planting, thus releasing toxic pollutants to the atmosphere which leads to the deterioration of air quality. It may be concluded (based on the existing evidence) that the combined effects of stubble burning emissions and meteorological conditions are the cause of the severity of air quality especially during rice stubble burning episodes in north Indian cities.
The pollutants from stubble burning pose a grave risk to the health of the exposed population as they are linked to several health issues and even death, in severe cases. In addition to atmospheric pollution, stubble burning may also lead to climate change, global warming, and the destruction of soil nutrients . It is, therefore, the need of the hour to implement exhaustive policies to curb this menace at its base.
The impact of stubble burning may increase in the coming years with the increase in population and food demand. A report by the United Nation pointed out that the world population may rise to 10 billion by 2050, which will in turn lead to increased food demand. In India, crop production is projected to increase by 45% by 2050, i.e., from 619 Mt in 2017 to 899 Mt in 2050. This will necessitate the production of more food and consequently the generation and burning of more stubble.
Despite the strict policies and legislations put in place by the Indian government at the federal and state levels to ban the burning practices, the activity continues in most parts of northern India especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Patriotic compliance with these policies requires effective follow-up with timely and continuous monitoring at all places.

- SIDDHARTH REDDY

- NANDIKA SONI

GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS OF STUBBLE BURNING

An estimated 9.6 million hectares of land are utilized annually for the rice-wheat cropping system in India (Sharma et al., 2010). Most of the farmers in this region use combine harvesters for planting and harvesting the crops thereby generating a significant quantity of stubble.

The states most affected by the severe pollution are Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (U.P), Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, and West Bengal.

Uttar Pradesh generates the highest quantity of stubble, about 72Mt, followed by Punjab (46Mt), West Bengal (37.3Mt), Andhra Pradesh (33Mt), and then Haryana (24Mt) (IARI, 2012).

An estimated 9.6 million hectares of land are utilized annually for the rice-wheat cropping system in India (Sharma et al., 2010). Most of the farmers in this region use combine harvesters for planting and harvesting the crops thereby generating a significant quantity of stubble.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), approximately 14 million tons (Mt) out of the 22 Mt of the rice stubble (about 63.6%) generated each year in India is set to fire (IARI, 2012). Haryana and Punjab, two of the key agricultural states of India, alone contribute 48% to this amount (Gadde et al., 2009). In the Punjab region, rice and wheat account for about 85.91% of the total cultivation with other crops produced in relatively minor quantities.

Dipankar Saha, a former scientist at CPCB, said the pollutants rising from the farm fires can sometimes go even higher into the atmosphere and get pushed over Rajasthan, from where these enter the Indo-Gangetic plains’ corridor and raise pollution levels there.

The maximum stubble is generated by cereal crops constituting about 58% of the total annual crop production. For most of the grains, the amount of stubble generated is higher than the grain produced. In the case of rice and wheat, the stubble is approximately 1.5 times the grain produced.

A survey on tourism, in 2018, reported that the inflow of tourists into Delhi has decreased by about 25-30 % as a result of air pollution (Sharma et al., 2019). Air pollution, therefore, has a great impact on tourism and economic development.

Dipankar Saha, a former scientist at CPCB, said the pollutants rising from the farm fires can sometimes go even higher into the atmosphere and get pushed over Rajasthan, from where these enter the Indo-Gangetic plains’ corridor and raise pollution levels there.

In India, New Delhi and the other NCR (National Capital Region) cities have been experiencing harsh pollution from smog and haze caused by various anthropogenic activities and lower temperatures during the winter especially during October to December months every year.

Burning of firecrackers during Diwali, a major festival in India, was suggested by some (Arora et al., 2018) as the cause of poor winter air in India.
They compared the stubble burning periods with and without Diwali and found an increase of about 40 µg/m3 PM2.5 (Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns) concentration during Diwali days in 2018.

There's been a 30-40% surge in air purifier sales in the past 10-14 days over the same period last year. “Due to the deteriorating air quality across the country and especially in Delhi and surrounding areas, we are seeing a trend of increased usage amongst people from all walks of life,” 3M India Senior General Manager, Personal Safety Division Nandakumar said.

New Delhi has been identified as one of the most polluted cities in terms of particulate matter (PM), with a peak value of 350 g/m3, which is 3.5 times higher than the allowable limit of 100 g/m3 (WHO, 2016, NAAQS, 2009). Crop burning have had a significant impact over Delhi’s climate although in general air pollution from different sources contributes to the overall degradation of the climate but in recent years stubble burning pollution have consistently increased its share upto 40% of total air pollution. It has a major impact on climate and human health as it is one of the major source of atmospheric aerosol and trace gases emission.

- JANVI AGARWAL

EXISTING SOLUTIONS AND THEIR LIMITATIONS

Its compact design allows for convenient storage and administration, ensuring the optimal quantity required for a single intake, enhancing ease and effectiveness.

The Pusa Capsule image showcases a single-dose capsule, indicating the required quantity for one administration.

PUSA and other Bio Decomposers

Prepared by scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the PUSA bio-decomposer is a microbial solution which can turn paddy straw into manure in 15-20 days .PUSA comes in the form of capsules and a small bottle costs ₹25 (from IFFCO) BUT it has some problems...

· Some farmers have complained that PUSA capsules do not work. Even after waiting for more than 4 weeks, nothing happened with them eventually resorting to stubble burning.

· The equipment which you buy to produce the initial solution (which sits around 48hrs before use) is very costly - not ideal for an average farmer.

· There’s also involvement of emotional belief wherein farmers hesitate to put foreign chemicals into their soil due to fear of damaging it.

But one of the major reasons is reduced harvest time window.

Farm economist-Sucha Singh Gill says that the reduced time window between harvesting of the paddy crop and sowing of the next wheat crop too has amplified stubble burning cases.

Gill said earlier farmers had enough time to manage the stubble. The paddy was sown in May and harvesting was done in September or early October. Farmers had over a month to manage stubble before sowing the next wheat crop.

Later, the state government prohibited paddy sowing before mid-June in order to coincide the irrigation of paddy crops with monsoon so that farmers’ dependence on underground water could be reduced. Due to this, paddy harvesting has been extended to the end of October. The farmers then in haste to sow wheat crop, which is ideally sown by mid-November, found it easy to burn stubble in order to clear fields for the next crop.

This is also why farmers are not able to use a ‘bio-decomposer’ as a solution to the stubble burning problem in Punjab. Many farmers in Punjab who recently used a decomposer in their fields returned to stubble burning because they could not wait longer as the season of wheat sowing had already begun.

CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT (CRM) MACHINES like Rotavators and Happy Seeder (Mechanised stubble removal)

Happy Seeder sows seeds and removes the straw at the same time, scattering it evenly across the field, thus mulching the field and helping it retain its moisture, and encouraging seed germination. The straw naturally decomposes over time, enriching the soil. Studies have validated the benefits that the Happy Seeder has delivered through residue incorporation in the soil and savings on input costs. Since the machine can be expensive, the state government offers a 50% subsidy for individual farmers, while farmers’ groups and cooperatives can avail of 75% subsidy.

In 2018, the Government of India launched the Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization scheme to push the adoption of in-situ CRM machines - Happy and Super Seeder - among farmers through subsidies. By 2020, Punjab had established 19,834 Custom Hiring Centres and deployed 76,626 CRMs, which included 13,316 Happy Seeders and 17,697 Super Seeders. The existing stock of machines can be used to manage nearly 17 lakh hectares which correspond to 66 per cent of the non-basmati farmland sown in 2021.

BUT...

In reality, though most machines remain underutilised. For instance, in 2020, farmers in 12 out of 22 districts in Punjab burnt crop residue on more than 50 per cent of their land. However, all these districts had a stock of CRM machines that could be used to manage more than 40–50 per cent of the non-basmati farms.

Most farmers in Punjab aren’t trained adequately to use these machines and are apprehensive of the impact on the wheat crop yields sowed by these seeders. High private ownership – 37 per cent – has also led to limited usage of these machines. The rental model – CHC – has also failed to win over the farmers due to delays in the availability of machines and inefficient logistics management.

Substantial increase in diesel prices over the last two years could prove to be an impediment for farmers since fuel-related costs account for 25% of the total operating cost of CRM machines. The operating cost of a Happy Seeder machine has risen by 8 per cent compared to 2019, while the same for a Super Seeder has jumped by 5 per cent compared to 2020.

Following is an account of a farmer from Mehlan (Punjab), Jagjit Singh, who switched to the Rotavator-

“Soon after I ran the rotavator on the field, I was able to sow the wheat seeds. I was happy I didn’t have to burn the stubble. But within 15 days, I noticed that the saplings of wheat had started to show damage from the pink bollworm. I lost about 70% of my wheat crop.”

In paddy, this light-pink worm resides in the stalk of the crop, reproducing quickly, and damaging the grains and leaves. Since the stubble is left behind – although chopped and churned by the rotavator – some bollworms survive in it till the wheat crop is sown, which the worms then feast on. Jagjit Singh stood in a field of paddy, with brown, wilted leaves, and snapped the stalk of one plant – out popped a wriggling worm.

Collection of stubble for Biogas generation

The digested sludge when used as an organic fertilizer even completes a sustainable loop of recycling nutrients back into the soil. Crop residues due to their rich organic content have demonstrated excellent biogas potential. Most energy crops have shown methane yields of approximately 300 m 3 /t of organic matter. This gas could be used as a fuel or converted to electricity or even upgraded to bio-methane.

Verbio, a company carrying out biogas generation, explained that the company was currently in a trial phase. During this phase they are collecting stubble from locations convenient for them. The representative added that the company was trying to introduce machines that could help air chopped stubble and reduce its moisture content.

But farmers also noted that they have not found the service reliable – one said there were excessive delays in collection, another that they covered a limited area, yet another that the company did not collect stubble one year, saying that it had too much moisture. Moreover:

· There aren’t enough biogas plants in Punjab and the ones that exist, do not have the capacity to process all the stubble.

· Renting a tractor, labor for cutting, bundling, loading-unloading adds to the cost for the farmer. If this stubble is not collected in time, storages charges also add on.

· While stored, stubble is a breeding ground for rats and other pests which harm the wheat crop.

· Several bundles of stubble are rejected due to high moisture levels which is not apt for the bio gas generation process.

OTHER ALTERNATIVES :-

- DIRECT SEEDING METHOD

Scientists are working on Direct Seeding – Currently, paddy sapling spends around 1.5 months in a nursery before it is sown in the fields. Direct seeding cuts down the nursery process by sowing the paddy directly into the fields.This will reduce the pressure on farmers for their next crop and stubble can be managed accordingly

Farmers who heard about the direct seeding method of planting paddy, experienced increased weed growth in their fields. Following is the account of Kulwinder Singh-

“The method requires the seeding to be done by a machine, so it definitely reduced the labour costs. But this crop got infested by weeds. I then ended up using all the money I saved on labour initially to employ them to remove the weeds.”

- There can be promotion of staggered farming – wherein different types of crops are grown on different fields instead of same, so that there’s less burden on farmers as well.

Increase the harvesting window by lifting the prohibition on the sowing season. If farmers are permitted to sow the paddy seeds in May, they will have one month to address the stubble situation unlike the current 1 week scenario.
Encourage farmers to diversify the crop- paddy stubble can be confused for a wheat crop which is why getting rid of it is necessary. However, millet and pulses look very different. A varied crop is one of the reasons Southern states do not practice stubble burning. This change has to be brought out by MSP. (However, MSP is a very complicated and political scheme)

RESOURCES :

bbc.com

theguardian.com

scroll.in

thewire.in

- SWARNIM SAWANE

- ANOUSHKA ALEX

EMPATHISING

We conducted a survey to understand a farmers point of view.

A total of 44 responses were received which helped our team to understand the situation better .

What 'they' think about stubble burning?

Their Viewpoints for stubble burning