Long Term Solutions to Crop Stubble Burning Problem in India

“Delhi’s air quality slips to ‘very poor’ category; stubble burning contributes 14% to polluted air” – India Today, October 17, 2021

“Air quality in Delhi starts dipping; stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana less than last year so far” – The Indian Express, October 13, 2021

These are a couple of headlines from leading Indian news and media publications on Delhi’s severe air quality due to crop stubble burning. 

According to estimates, approximately 23 million tons of straw are burnt by farmers in northern India after their rice harvests, especially in September to November.

To compound the problem, the wind flows from the north, bringing polluted air to Delhi and its surrounding region, thereby negatively affecting air quality.

As per the Indian government’s response to the Supreme Court of India, stubble burning contributes only 10% of Delhi’s pollution.

According to air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR, stubble burning in north Indian states accounts for 30% to 40% of air pollution in October and November.

Irrespective of the contradictions regarding the percentage contribution of stubble burning to air pollution, the main point is that farmers’ farm fires are a major problem that needs attention and a solution. 

In 2018, the government even established a fund to help farmers dispose of rice paddy straw using machines. Under the plan, farmers can get a 50% subsidy to buy the machines for cutting, collecting, and hauling away compressed paddy straw.

Millions of rupees were spent on this scheme by both state and central governments, but the efforts did not stop farm fires due to various factors. 

In addition to subsidies, Indian authorities have tried many solutions, including promoting seeder-based systems, imposing penalties, using bio-decomposers, and even putting farmers in jail in some places.

Despite many efforts, stubble burning remains a major challenge for Indian policymakers, authorities, and the public at large.

Therfore to address the crop stubble-burning problem, India would need larger, long-term, and sustainable solutions.

Solutions to the Crop Stubble Burning Problem in India

Incentivising the farmers

First and foremost, for any crop stubble-burning solution to be effective, it must place farmers at the forefront. If we expect farmers to bear the cost of collecting, baling, and transporting the residue, burning will continue, as it is the cheapest option available.

If there is an incentive for farmers to leverage their agricultural waste to generate additional income, it will be widely adopted. 

Encouraging Innovation

Secondly, encouragement should be given to all startups working in this space. In an earlier article, we discussed a few Indian startups that are creating innovative products using agricultural waste.

Their products not only address the stubble-burning problem but also have the potential to solve many other environmental challenges, such as plastic waste, construction emissions, and dependence on fossil fuels.

Unless the government authorities provide these Indian startups with a sustained support system, the crop stubble-burning solutions they develop will remain minuscule in terms of their broader impact. 

Altering Farming Practices

The third and most important thing the Indian administration can consider is changing the practice of rice-wheat cropping and promoting crop diversification.

After the Green Revolution, India introduced rice cultivation in the wheat-dominated Indo-Gangetic Plains to meet the food needs of its growing population.

The rice-wheat cropping system left farmers with a very narrow window between the rice harvest and wheat sowing. As removing rice stubble left after harvest is costly and time-consuming, stubble burning became an affordable option for farmers to clear their fields and prepare them for wheat.

Therefore, if farmers can be encouraged to diversify into more water-efficient crops such as maize, millets, and pulses instead of rice, it will not only help reduce water use but also reduce the problem of stubble burning.

Wrapping Up

The efforts are already underway, in the Indian Budget 2022, which encouraged the usage of natural farming techniques and discouraged so-called chemical-based agriculture, with a first stage focusing on farmers’ land in 5 km wide corridors along the river Ganga.

Additionally, to boost farmers’ incomes and address air pollution and stubble burning, the budget provides support to enable 5-7 per cent co-firing of biomass pellets in coal-based thermal power plants. 

To encourage Millet crops, 2023 has been designated the International Year of Millets. The Budget also made provisions to support post-harvest value addition, enhance domestic consumption, and promote branding of millet products nationally and internationally.