Burning of Crop Stubbles: Effects on the environment and its solution

Burning of crop stubbles in the fields of Punjab and Haryana has once again raised eyebrows. The farmers burning 'Parali' (crop stubble) are in the spotlight - not for good reasons, of course. The air of Delhi is getting polluted, concerns are being expressed.

Stubbles ('Parali') are the remains of the plants left after harvesting paddy and/or wheat. As this bio-mass is useless for them, farmers use to burn it in fields finding it a convenient means of its disposal. Farmers have had their reasoning for burning the stubbles as well apart from cost considerations. It was viewed that the smoke emitted by burning the stubbles caused to kill vectors of diseases and resultant ash fertilize the fields as it contains a good amount of potash.

The stubbles are burned in the months of October-November when the paddy is harvested and the fields are to be prepared for the next crop. Farmers, having a small interval between the two crops to prepare their fields for the next 'Rabi' crop, burn the stubbles in the field. The practice was usual till 1990 when governments started banning this practice. The condensing atmospheric moisture in falling temperatures of the dawning winter gives a proper platform to settle Suspended Particulate Matters (SPM). It is the time when 'Smog' enshrouds the atmosphere. 

As per a study, published by Stringer in 2015, stubble burning produces large quantities of harmful gases and SPM. Besides gases like Nitrous Oxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon dioxide and ash which are produced, several valuable nutrients like Potassium, Phosphorus, Sulphur and Nitrogen are also lost, the study says. The largest quantity of the gas produced is Carbon dioxide (1460 Kg per ton of stubble burning), chiefly responsible for the 'Green House' effect. The fire also destroys the friendly animal life-forms such as earthworms which contribute significantly in the soil health and its rejuvenation process as well. 

The stubble burning and smog consternate Delhites. Poor quality of air is a health hazard. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi which generally remains at 101-200 between January to September, drastically shoots dangerously up to well above 300 in three months between October and December. National Green Tribunal (NGT) in its judgement, banning the stubble burning activity, mandated to penalize the defaulters by fine varying from Rs 2500 to 15000 per stubble burning according to the landholding size of the farmer. However, the order remained a mere paper tiger. In the absence of willpower and lackadaisical approach of the implementing agencies, the order continued to exist unimplemented. Stubble burning persists unabated; the AQI spikes well above 300 this year. 

Albeit the farmers are sensitive towards the adverse effects of stubble burning on the environment, due to the high cost of its disposal in an environmentally friendly way, they find it convenient to burn it. The stubbles, before disposing of properly, have to be completely rooted out manually since doing it with machines is not in currency. Being intensively labour oriented, it costs around Rs 5000 to 6000 per acre. The gravitated additional burden for stubble disposal is a great impediment for it drains the farmers, already reeling under the pressure of increased input cost. 

M.S. Swaminathan in his report recommended that "MSP should be at least 50% more than the average cost of production". The government, though have increased the MSP of certain crops to help the farmers but a lot more remains to be done. Increased input cost pressurizes the economy. Adding the cost of stubble disposal to the input cost (seed, manure, fertilizers, irrigation and other plus the labour cost) raises the overall production cost causing the spiralling of the sale price. This may jeopardize agricultural growth and food production.

The picture of air quality in Delhi is harrowing but is stubble burning the only cause of Delhi's poor air quality? It needs an answer. An estimated 20-25 crore vehicles are on the roads in the country. According to Delhi's Economic Survey 2018-19, the number of vehicles per thousand population has increased from 317 to whooping 598 during 2017-18. The increasing number of vehicles vomit more vehicular emission, add more harmful gases and cause the air quality of Delhi to become poor. A study conducted in October 2018 by the Ministry of Earth Science has revealed that 41% of pollution is due to vehicular emissions. Apart from this, Industries and thermal power plants also add significantly to the problem. Badarpur thermal power plant of Delhi which contributed only 8% to the electricity supply in Delhi emitted 70-80% of smoke and ash in the atmosphere. In November 2017 when Delhi witnessed great smog and the pollution level had spiked far beyond the acceptable level, it had to be temporarily closed down. It is good that the power plant has now been permanently shut down. 

The mechanized farming is the order of the day. The improved technology can help cope with the problem of stubble disposal. 

Though the pollution due to stubble burning is less and phasic in comparison to the permanent factors responsible for the poor air quality of Delhi, it needs to be addressed. Motivated farmers shall happily use the technology if they are within their reach. The product subsidy and timely government assistance are the impediment busters. The steps to incentivise and encourage electric vehicles are good for the atmosphere and curbing vehicular pollution. The emission norms for the vehicles have also been revised. From April 1st 2020 the production and sale of BS-IV vehicles are going to be stopped. The new norm is BS-VI. Additionally, the electric vehicles are expected to replace the Internal Combustion Engine driven vehicles. New technology and innovative ideas shall prove to be game-changer. Rich in micronutrients and copious cellulose the stubbles which are being converted into pellets can help meet the energy requirements at the local level. R&D to increase their energy efficiency and smokeless burning shall add values to them. The exploration of the commercial viability of stubbles as a source of biofuel may add the extra income of farmers and eradicate the menace of stubble burning. 

Desertification and Land Degradation: A Lot More Needs To Be Done

Amidst the cacophony of shrieking news channels about crime, lynching, scams, elections and related abuses by leaders there came a soothing piece of news in print. The news is encouraging for all the environment lovers who want it safe, viable and clean. As per unconfirmed news, the government is mooting to create a 'Green Wall' to increase the green cover and curb desertification. Keeping the magnitude of the problem, it is a welcome step and deserves to be appreciated.  

The desertification is a problem, for it extends its arms and insidiously engulf the tillable land. It is because of the degraded land which is on the rise in India. ISRO, in it's 'Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India' released in 2016, has pointed out an increase in the land degradation of 1.87 Mha (0.56%). The atlas says that between 2011 and 13 out of the total 328.72 million hectares (Mha) geographical area of the country, 96.40 Mha (29.32%) is under land degradation whereas it was 93.53 Mha (28.76%) in 2003 to 05. It may sound insignificant but it is certainly consternating and needs urgent attention. The worst affected areas are the states of  Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. In some wherein, more than 50% of the total area is degraded facing the threat of desertification.

The waning of topsoil and decreasing its thickness merely to a few inches causes the land degraded, making it unsustainable for life because of its low water-absorbing/retaining capacity and nutrients. The loosened topsoil gets easily washed off either by wind current or rain, leaving the land barren. The degraded land thus loses its ability to trap carbon dioxide - the 'Green House Gas' - primarily responsible for the rise of environmental temperature. The adverse effects of global warming need no elaboration. It is a vicious cycle. 

Denudation is the major cause of land degradation. The depleting forest cover, haphazard land use, excessive grazing et cetera are responsible factors contributing to denudation. The extreme weather conditions also add significantly to the process of degradation of forests and then of the land. The extreme weather conditions like perennial floods, droughts and rising temperature are near defenestrating the economy besides adversely affecting the biodiversity of the county. The fact that several vital flora and fauna are either on the brink of extinction or have already been extinct is a cause of consternation. The fast-changing scenario is a devastating shock for bio-clock. The earth may witness 'Holocene Extention' lest it is not addressed. 

Forests are not a mere conglomerate of trees and twiners on a patch of land. They are vibrant entities which sustain life-forms by establishing a complex food web. It takes years to grow a forest. Each component of the ecosystem is interdependent. It is why forests and related fauna have been treated with the utmost reverence since ancient times in Indian society. It is not strange why they have been given the place of God and worshipped by the people. Our ancient holy scriptures copiously praise them and underline their importance. An urge to save the forest is neither rhetoric nor emotional. It is the necessity of time, even in terms of a materialistic angle as well. The forests cannot be equated with plantation wherein planting of trees is taken up systematically and artificially. Such plantations, though increase the green cover, do not instantly fill the void of forests. Done with bonafide intention, however, planting new saplings and their care is the right step in the right direction. 

The adverse effects of desertification and degradation attracted the world's attention. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1994. Conference of Parties (COP) with 197 member countries was made supreme decision-making body of UNCCD. The decisions of COP are legally binding on the member countries. The 14th summit - COP14 - was held in New Delhi. In the summit, ended on 13-September-2019, participating countries adopted 'Delhi Declaration' wherein they expressed their commitment, besides other things, for the restoration of ecosystem and also recovering 26 Mha of degraded land in India. Raising the concern while addressing the summit, Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi said that climate change was leading to land degradation of various kinds. 

As has been pointed out above, one of the most crucial areas Rajasthan needs prior attention. The daunting task to check the progress of the desert towards the east can be achieved by creating wind barriers in the form of a thick plantation. The green cover is to be restored and created including the degraded Arawali region. An idea to develop a 'Green Wall' is the replication of 'The Great Green Wall' of Africa which was mooted a decade ago. Though in Africa it was not fulfilled completely because of the involvement of many countries, in India the 'Green Wall' would probably be 1400 Km long and 05 Km wide, stretching from Porbandar to Panipat covering entire Arawali range and beyond. Completed, it will be able to check the spread of the desert beside being able to effectively contain the land degradation and its restoration. 

The forests and wildlife is a concurrent subject in the Constitution of India. Though the decisions of the Center has an overriding effect on the State's decision, their involvement is natural. Keeping harmony and larger national interest in mind the work of 'Green Wall' is to be taken up. Ours is a vast country, home to 18% of the world's population. There is a need for infrastructure development, agriculture, housing, sanitation, education and health. This creates a lot of pressure on our valuable forests. Additionally, illicit felling is a sore. An estimated 1.6 Mha of forest cover has been cleared during the last 18 years. The forested area has increased albeit marginally. It is, however, equally important to have a clean and healthy environment as well.