Why in News ?

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority wrote to the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana stating that early crop stubble burning was taking place and urged them to address the issue urgently.

What is the issue of crop stubble burning ?

• It has been brought to EPCA’s notice that early burning of crop residue is taking place in Punjab.
• According to a SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research under the Central government) estimate, based on harmonising the INSAT-3, 3D and NASA satellite, the fire counts were around 42.
• EPCA Recommendation for to set up a control room in which directions can be issued and action taken.
  • Ensuring that the machineries are within the reach of the farmers.
  • Ensuring enforcement of the non-compliance that is reported from the field.
• It is a traditional practice in Punjab and Haryana to clean off the rice stubble to prepare the fields for winter sowing begins in October with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.

Status of Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi 

• The predominant wind direction is north-easterly and it doesn’t support the transport and accumulation of the effect of stubble burning to Delhi.
  • India lies in the region of north easterly winds.
  • These winds originate from the subtropical high-pressure belt of the northern hemisphere.
• The AQI of Delhi was in the ‘moderate’ category.

What is the impact of crop stubble burning over environment ?

• Crop Stubble Burning from the annual rice paddy harvest is a practice that dates back decades.
• Crop waste burning emits particulate matter (both PM10 and PM2.5) and greenhouse gases (GHG), which aggravate the poor air quality in Punjab, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
• Crop Stubble Burning released 149.24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Over 9 million tonnes of carbon monoxide (CO)
  • 0.25 million tonnes of oxides of sulphur (SOX)
  • 1.28 million tonnes of particulate matter
  • 0.07 million tonnes of black carbon.
• These directly contribute to environmental pollution, and are also responsible for the haze in Delhi and melting of Himalayan glaciers.
• Impact over quality of Soil
  • Heat from burning paddy straw penetrates 1 centimetre into the soil, elevating the temperature to 33.8 to 42.2 degree Celsius.
  • This may kills the bacterial and fungal populations critical for a fertile soil.
  • Damage to other micro-organisms present in the upper layer of the soil as well as its organic quality.
  • The solubility capacity of the upper layers of soil have also been reduced.
• Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, estimated that people in rural Punjab spend Rs 7.6 crore every year on treatment for ailments caused by stubble burning.

What is the alternative solution ?

• National Policy for Management of Crop Residue which helps crop residue management to make the soil more fertile
  • Promotion of technologies for optimum utilization and in-situ management of crop residue.
  • Promotion of diversified uses of crop residue for various purposes eg. power generation.
  • Promotion of adaptive research for the management of crop residue
  • Formulation and implementation of necessary policy measures for control of crop residue burning through suitable laws/ legislation/ executive orders etc.
• Other Options
  • Happy Seeder(used for sowing of crop in standing stubble)
  • Rotavator (used for land preparation and incorporation of crop stubble in the soil)
  • Zero till seed drill (used for land preparations directly sowing of seeds in the previous crop stubble)
  • Baler (used for collection of straw and making bales of the paddy stubble)
  • Paddy Straw Chopper (cutting of paddy stubble for easily mixing with the soil)
  • Reaper Binder (used for harvesting paddy stubble and making into bundles)
  • their use in paper or cardboard factories
  • fodder for biomass power plants.
    • Biomass power plants in Punjab consume 1 million metric tons of paddy straw annually, significantly less than the 19.7 million metric tons of residue generated.
• Happy Seeder machines, which can be attached to mechanised harvesters to shred crop residue and directly incorporate seeds, eliminate the need for burning.
• With no standard rental rates, the rental costs for such technologies remain prohibitive for some farmers.
• Renting a Happy Seeder can save farmers about INR 1000 – INR 1100 per acre on average in field preparation costs.

Why Alternative options failed ?

• Issues withe the implementation of the National Policy for Management of Crop Residues to protect the parali (crop residue).
• A farmer has to spend at least RS. 5,000 for machinerie but government claims INR 1000 – INR 1100 per acre.
  • The government is providing subsidy at 50-80 per cent for crop residue management machinery but still found not reaching farmers.
• Manufacturing of the machine was lagging significantly behind demand in 2018.
• Last year, about 9.8 million tonnes of the total estimated crop residue of 20 million tonnes were burnt in Punjab.
• Similarly, in Haryana, of the total 7 million tonnes, 1.24 million tonnes of stubble were burnt.

What happens if violates ?

• Charge case against farmers may registered under Indian Penal Code
  • Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant)
    • Punishment is simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to Rs. 200, or with both.
  • Section 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life)
    • It has a provision of imprisonment for 6 months or fine or both

Way Forward

• Make paddy residue management technologies widely available.
• Shift to early-maturing rice varieties that allow farmers more time for clearing and preparing fields for sowing wheat.
• Awareness through campaigns to demonstrate better residue management practices and rid farmers of misconceptions
• Proper implementation of National Policy for Management of Crop Residue.

Source : The Hindu

Topic

GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Current Affairs Compilation for : 23 September 2020