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Stubble Burning in India: Problems and Mitigation strategies

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Manas Barman
Manas Barman
Manas Barman
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Arkadeb Mukhopadhyay at Insecticides (India) Limited
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  • Insecticides (India) Limited
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Volume 2 - Issue 12 - December 2020 562 | P a g e
Stubble Burning in India: Problems and Mitigation strategies
Article ID: 33181
Manas Barman1, Arkadeb Mukhopadhyay2
1Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-
12, India.
2Division of Agricultural Chemicals, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-12, India.
Introduction
When on one hand India is fighting COVID-19 war, on the other hand we cannot forget our responsibility
towards environmental sustainability as well as global health. The entire globe is grappling with a respiratory
disease; in this situation scientists are predicting more respiratory impairment in north India due to annual
stubble burning mediated rise in air pollution. The states which once managed to grab the profit of green
revolution in India, are currently suffering with enormous number of drawbacks of the same. Over the years
farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP have moved to specialized-high yielding rice-wheat cropping
mental and health cost. Despite a ban
by Punjab Pollution Control Board, stubble burning is still practiced.
The act of stubble burning involves intentional fire setting to the residues after the economic crop parts have
been harvested. According to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India generates on an average
500 Million tons of crop residue every year. A majority of this crop residue is in fact used as fodder, fuel for
other domestic and industrial purposes. However, there is still a surplus of 140 Mt out of which 92 Mt is burned
each year (NPMCR, 2019). Smoke from this generates number of pollutant gases (CO2, CO, NH3, NOX, SOX, Non-
methane hydrocarbon (NMHC), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)
pollution emergency. However, this issue demands attention beyond India for two reasons- firstly, the residues
can be used for the benefits of the society due to its organic composition; secondly, the huge volume of the
residue if dealt improperly can cause adverse impact on environment that go far beyond India, especially when
India is the second largest producer of rice and wheat in the world and both of these crops produce large volume
of residue.
Statistics and Problems of Stubble Burning
The main reason for stubble burning is the short time span available between rice harvesting and sowing of
wheat. Partly, this short timeframe available between rice and wheat can be attributed to the Punjab
Preservation of Subsoil Act (2009), where June 20 is fixed for paddy transplantation date, which pushes ahead
the rice harvesting. As a result, farmers get less than 20-25 days between two crops and they go for quickest
and easiest way of burning crop residue. For this particular reason, with the onset of winter farm fire becomes
rampant in north India.
Based on NPMCR (2019), generation of crop residues is highest in the state of Uttar Pradesh (60 Mt) followed
by Punjab (51 Mt) and Maharashtra (46 Mt) with a grand total of 500 Mt per year out of which 92 Mt is burned.
Among different crop residue burned, major contribution was 43% of rice, followed by wheat (21%), sugarcane
(19%) and oilseed crops (5%) (Bhuvaneshwari et al., 2019). Burning of this precious raw material emits harmful
particulate matters (PM10 and PM2.5) and greenhouse gases (GHGs) like, 70% Carbon dioxide (CO2), 7% Carbon
monoxide (CO), 0.66% Methane (CH4), and 2.09% Nitrogen dioxide (N2O) and have negative impact on air quality
-3,
is set at 40
-3 -3, which is
Volume 2 - Issue 12 - December 2020 563 | P a g e
approximately twice than the Indian standard and ten times higher than the WHO standard (Zehra, 2017).
Exposure to outdoor air pollution was found to be third leading risk factor in India after high blood pressure and
high fasting plasma glucose in 2015. The problem of Acute Respiration Infection (ARI) is particularly increasing
in children due to the high respiration rate among children. The poisonous gas like Carbon Monoxide which is
released due to paddy straw burning when reacted with red particles reduces the blood efficiency to take
oxygen and generate respiratory problems (Batra, 2017). A recent study found that 12.5% of the total deaths in
India in 2017 were attributable to air pollution (Chakrabarti et al., 2019).
Apart from contributing to air pollution, stubble burning deteriorates soils long term productivity also. One-acre
land produces 2.5-3.0 metric ton paddy straw and the burning of this one acre of paddy straw can destroy 32
kg Urea, 5.5 kg Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and 51 kg Potash manure which is already present in residues
and soil. One third of nitrogen and sulphur, 75% of potash and 25% phosphorus present in paddy straw when
contacted with heat and oxygen due to burning resulted in the emission of harmful oxides in the environment.
Although government is showing interest in addressing the issue of stubble burning and air pollution but so far
has fallen short in dealing with this crisis.
Strategies to Combat Stubble Burning
1. There is a requirement of Rs 6000-7000 per acre if farmers wish to remove stubble manually. Recently Punjab
cre.
But even then, availability and suitability have been an important issue. To cover its 75 lakh acres of paddy field
Punjab requires 50000 happy seeders, but government distributed only 24000. In addition, farmers complain
about sowing and low germination of wheat seed when sown with happy seeders.
did not work out as it took around an hour for every acre, typically producing 12-15 quintals of bales.
-cum-
field in a single operation, so wheat sowing becomes easy.
2. Stubbles can also be handled properly through accelerated decomposition process. Recently, Indian
decompose residues into compost through accelerated decomposition. It involves making a liquid formulation
using decomposer capsules followed by its fermentation and then spraying on the field with stubbles to ensure
speedy decomposition. Microbial agents in that capsule or solution act on the straw to make it soft, breaks its
molecular components and release nutrients in the field. Reportedly it takes around 25 days for the degradation
process to be completed (Bhatnagar, 2020) and costs less than Rs 1000 per acre (Reddy, 2020). For rapid
breakdown of hard stubbles IARI has identified seven strains of fungi, which are packed in four capsules. It costs
about Rs 20 per packet of four capsules. According to a report of The Hindu (dated 24th September, 2020), for
processing the solution 25 liters of water is boiled with 150 grams of jiggery, which helps in fungal multiplication.
After this m
capsules. Then the solution is covered with a thin piece of cloth and left in a dark room for four days. On the
fourth day, a thick growth of fungi will be seen on the top of the solution. This is mixed well and the solution is
ready for use.
3. Another option is to prepare biochar from stubbles by burning it in a kiln, which can be used as fertilizer
material. For this, a kiln of 14 ft. height and 10 ft. wide which will be able to accommodate 12 quintals of rice
straw and convert it into 6.5 quintals of biochar in 10-12 hours.
4. In long run, farmers can replace long duration paddy varieties with short duration varieties like- Pusa Basmati
1509 and PR-126, which can be harvested in the end of September itself and can widen the window between
rice harvesting and wheat sowing, allowing enough time for decomposition and eliminate the need for stubble
burning (Reddy, 2020).
Volume 2 - Issue 12 - December 2020 564 | P a g e
5. Development of fodder and feed markets can help popularize the traditional use of straw and stubble as
fodder and feed for livestock. This can happen locally as well as can be transported to deficit areas like
Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra though proper connection.
6. To encourage the use of advanced machinery like- rotavator, happy seeder and straw management system,
farmers must be incentivized with adequate subsidy on purchase of these machines. Subsequently, Punjab and
Haryana governments were asked by Supreme Court to provide Rs. 100 per quintal to small and marginal
farmers for stubble management. So, with the average stubble productivity of 25.6 quintals per acre, Punjab
farmers may receive Rs 2560 per acre. Although 8000 nodal officers were assigned by governments to see the
matter, many farmers said not to receive the amount (Reddy, 2020).
7. Crop diversification should be emphasized by government especially in the situation where ground water
depletion, poor soil quality and air pollution is getting alarming day by day. Crop diversification, like-crop
rotation, poly-cultures, agroforestry etc. can improve resilience of farming from the effects of climate variability
and extreme events.
8. Other non-technological alternative to take away farmers from burning is to educate and aware them through
various campaigns and programs. They should be aware of the available alternatives and also well informed
about the adverse effects of burning.
9. Scientific as well as socio-economic study is required so that a viable option can be found out. Punjab
Agriculture University (PAU) released different non-basmati varieties such as PR 121, PR 122, PR 123, PR 124
and PR 126 which mature one to five weeks earlier than the earlier popular varieties like PR 118 and Pusa 44
which takes 150-160 days to mature.
Conclusion
Budgetary allocations or providing incentives to the farmers in the form of money will not solve the problem.
Over the past two years at least Rs. 600 crores were spent in National Capital Region (NCR) by Ministry of
Agriculture to provide subsidized equipment to farmers in Punjab and Haryana for prevention of stubble
burning. Yet this year, there have been more farm fires than the previous years. Therefore, while funds are
critical, proper enforcement, adequate human resource and targeting the sources of pollution at ground levels
are also vital to mitigate stubble burning issue in India.
References
1. Batra, M.C. (2017). Stubble burning in North-West India and its impact on health. Journal of Chemistry, Environmental Sciences and its
Applications, 4: 13-18.
2. Bhatnagar, G.V. (2020, October 7). With Pusa Decomposer IARI hopes to offer organic solution to stubble burning problem. The Wire. Retrieved
from: https://thewire.in/agriculture/pusa-decomposer-iari-stubble-burning.
3. Bhuvaneshwari, S., Hettiarachchi, H. and Meegoda, J.N. (2019). Crop residue burning in India: Policy, challenges and potential solutions.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16: 832-851.
4. Chakrabarti, S., Khan, M.T., Kishore, A., Roy, D. and Scott, S.P. (2019). Risk of acute respiratory infection from crop burning in India: estimating
disease burden and economic welfare from satellite and national health survey data for 250 000 persons. International Journal of Epidemiology,
0: 1-12.
5. NPMCR. (2019). Available online: http://agricoop.nic.in/sites/default/files/NPMCR_1.pdf.
6. Reddy, A. Amarender. (2020, October 10). How can we solve the problem of stubble burning. Science: The Wire. Retrieved from:
https://science.thewire.in/environment/stubble-burning-punjab-haryana-rice-harvesting-wheat-sowing-delhi-air-pollution/.
7. The Hindu (2020, 24th September). Bio-decomposer technique will curb stubble burning pollution. Retrieved from:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/bio-decomposer-technique-will-curb-stubble-burning-pollution/article32689736.ece.
8. Zehra, R. (2017, 12th September). India, clean your air as per WHO standards & live 4 years longer. Available online:
https://fit.thequint.com/health-news/clean-your-air-as-per-who-standards-2.
... According to (Barman and Mukhopadhyay 2020), to physically collect residue, farmers would need a budget of 6000-7000 rupees per acre. However, to allocate this budget for other related tasks, farmers often choose to burn the residue in the field, since this method does not involve any additional costs. ...
... With an average production of 25.6 quintals of straw per acre, this equates to around 2560 rupees for each farmer. Regrettably, farmers have expressed their dissatisfaction about not obtaining the aforementioned quantity (Barman and Mukhopadhyay, 2020). ...
View
... But the requirement for a happy seeder was 50000 in Punjab and the government distributed only 24000. To rent a happy seeder it costs around 1000 and 2000 for diesel (Barman and Mukhopadhyay, 2020). Farmers believe that burning will eliminate all dangerous insects and weeds, which will minimize the need for insecticide and agricultural costs. ...
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... On burning humongous amount of stubble, various gases are released such as 70% CO 2 , 7% CO, and 0.66% CH 4 and 2.09% N 2 O. These gases ultimately lead to poor air quality of many Indian cities [5]. To tackle this problem, a possible substitute is the exploitation of rice straw for fuel and value-added product formation. ...
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Risk of acute respiratory infection from crop burning in India: Estimating disease burden and economic welfare from satellite and national health survey data for 250 000 persons
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Full-text available
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  • INT J EPIDEMIOL
Background: Respiratory infections are among the leading causes of death and disability globally. Respirable aerosol particles released by agricultural crop-residue burning (ACRB), practised by farmers in all global regions, are potentially harmful to human health. Our objective was to estimate the health and economic costs of ACRB in northern India. Methods: The primary outcome was acute respiratory infection (ARI) from India’s fourth District Level Health Survey (DLHS-4). DLHS-4 data were merged with Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite data on fire occurrence. Mutually adjusted generalized linear models were used to generate risk ratios for risk factors of ARI. Overall disease burden due to ACRB was estimated in terms of disability-adjusted life years. Results: Seeking medical treatment for ARI in the previous 2 weeks was reported by 5050 (2%) of 252 539 persons. Living in a district with intense ACRB—the top quintile of fires per day—was associated with a 3-fold higher risk of ARI (mutually adjusted risk ratio 2.99, 95% confidence interval 2.77 to 3.23) after adjustment for socio-demographic and household factors. Children under 5 years of age were particularly susceptible (3.65, 3.06 to 4.34 in this subgroup). Additional ARI risk factors included motor-vehicle congestion (1.96, 1.72 to 2.23), open drainage (1.91, 1.73 to 2.11), cooking with biomass (1.73, 1.58 to 1.90) and living in urban areas (1.35, 1.26 to 1.44). Eliminating ACRB would avert 149 thousand disability-adjusted life years lost per year, valued at US$1.529 billion over 5 years. Conclusions: Investments to stop crop burning and offer farmers alternative cropresidue disposal solutions are likely to improve population-level respiratory health and yield major economic returns.
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With Pusa Decomposer IARI hopes to offer organic solution to stubble burning problem. The Wire
  • Oct 2020
  • G V Bhatnagar
Bhatnagar, G.V. (2020, October 7). With Pusa Decomposer IARI hopes to offer organic solution to stubble burning problem. The Wire. Retrieved from: https://thewire.in/agriculture/pusa-decomposer-iari-stubble-burning.
How can we solve the problem of stubble burning
  • Oct 2020
  • A Reddy
  • Amarender
Reddy, A. Amarender. (2020, October 10). How can we solve the problem of stubble burning. Science: The Wire. Retrieved from: https://science.thewire.in/environment/stubble-burning-punjab-haryana-rice-harvesting-wheat-sowing-delhi-air-pollution/.
India, clean your air as per WHO standards & live 4 years longer
  • Sep 2017
  • R Zehra
Zehra, R. (2017, 12th September). India, clean your air as per WHO standards & live 4 years longer. Available online: https://fit.thequint.com/health-news/clean-your-air-as-per-who-standards-2.