Stubble burning, a common practice in northern India, involves setting fire to crop residue after harvest, particularly in states like Punjab and Haryana. This seasonal activity has emerged as a major contributor to Delhi’s ongoing air pollution crisis, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) often reaches hazardous levels. The resulting thick smog blankets the city, reducing visibility and posing severe health risks, especially respiratory issues. Beyond air pollution, stubble burning depletes soil fertility and undermines sustainable agricultural practices.
Alternatives such as composting, biofuel production, and crop diversification, along with global best practices, present viable solutions to this pressing issue. Collaborative efforts involving governments, industries, and communities are essential to tackle the environmental, health, and agricultural challenges posed by stubble burning and ensure a sustainable future.
Delhi continues to grapple with a severe air pollution crisis, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently touching hazardous levels. Thick smog blankets the city, reducing visibility and causing significant health and logistical challenges. A major, and oft discussed contributor to this alarming situation is the seasonal practice of stubble burning in neighboring states like Punjab and Haryana.
Stubble burning is the practice of setting fire to leftover crop residue, particularly the lower portions of rice and wheat plants, after the upper parts have been harvested. In northern India, especially in states like Punjab and Haryana, this method has become a common and cost-effective way to quickly clear fields, making space for the next crop.
India produces approximately 500 million tons of crop residue annually, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. While a significant portion is used as fodder and fuel for industrial and domestic purposes, around 140 million tons remain unused, with 92 million tons being burned each year. This excess residue often ends up being disposed of through stubble burning.
Why does this become unavoidable? State regulations in Punjab and Haryana mandate a delay in paddy sowing and transplantation from mid-May to mid-June in an effort to conserve the region’s rapidly depleting groundwater levels. As a result, the tighter harvesting schedules make manual harvesting difficult for farmers and force them to rely on mechanical harvesting only. This process leaves around two feet of stubble in the field, unlike manual harvesting, which leaves little to no residue.
As per Pushpendra Singh, President of Kisan Shakti Sangh and an alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), “Paying for manual harvesting is the cheapest, most eco-friendly and sustainable solution to stubble burning. It saves the water, air and earth with least costs and leaves no stubble to burn.” This stubble often needs to be burned to quickly clear the land for the next crop, contributing to pollution and soil degradation.
He added that the government should step in to bear the costs of manual harvesting, which is projected to be approximately Rs 4,500 crores across both states. With labor in short supply due to the wheat sowing season, the expenses for hiring workers have risen beyond what farmers can afford. This financial support would alleviate the burden on farmers, enabling them to manage their harvest without facing excessive costs during this critical period.
As per Vishad Pandhare, Sustainability Expert, “Addressing stubble burning requires collective action. The government can strengthen regulations, boost funding, and promote research, while the industry develops affordable machinery, invests in bioenergy, and supports sustainable farming. Communities can raise awareness, adopt alternatives, and engage in sustainability initiatives, fostering a more eco-friendly agricultural future.”
Air Pollution: Burning crop residue contributes significantly to air pollution by releasing greenhouse gases and other harmful aerosols and trace gases that have both radioactive and chemical implications. The emissions from stubble burning often exceed the standard limits set by the Central Pollution Control Board.
For instance, burning rice straw releases about 70% of the carbon in the straw as CO2, 7% as CO, and 0.66% as CH4. Additionally, 2.09% of the nitrogen in the straw is emitted as N2O, which contributes to global warming.
Decline in Soil Fertility: Many farmers view burning crop residue as a quick, cost-effective method to clear fields. While some believe it restores soil nutrients, it actually depletes soil health. The heat from burning destroys beneficial microbes and moisture, making the soil less fertile and crops more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Health Risks: Burning stubble releases harmful pollutants, including particulate matter and gases like sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. These contaminants increases health risks like respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections (ARI), and eye irritation.
Prolonged exposure can also lead to higher mortality rates. Toxic gases like carbon monoxide reduce the blood’s oxygen absorption, causing further respiratory problems, while nitrogen and sulfur oxides can damage the blood, skin, and lungs, increasing the risk of diseases like cancer.
Alternatives Solutions to Stubble Burning
Animal Feed (Fodder): Agricultural residues are widely used as animal feed, but rice stubble is less ideal due to its high silica and low lignin content, making it hard for livestock to digest and nutritionally limited. Processing rice straw, such as by turning it into pellets, can improve its suitability.
Composting: Crop residues can be composted into nutrient-dense material rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Vermicomposting, which utilizes earthworms, further enhances soil productivity and acts as a natural fertilizer. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s “Pusa Decomposer” accelerates residue decomposition into compost in roughly 25 days, offering an affordable solution for farmers.
Sustainable Energy: Rice straw holds incredible potential to support a greener future. It can be converted into biogas for cooking and electricity, processed into biofuels to power vehicles, or transformed into bran oil and bioethanol. These innovations provide sustainable alternatives to stubble burning while promoting environmental conservation.
Paper and Handicraft Making: Rice stubble is used to produce paper, temporary utensils, and decorative items. By blending paddy and wheat straw in a 40:60 ratio, paper production reduces the need for wood, helping to prevent deforestation.
Diversification of Agriculture: Crop diversification promotes sustainable agriculture, improving soil moisture, fertility, and nutrient retention. Shifting away from the water-intensive rice-wheat system to alternative crops like maize and sugarcane can help reduce groundwater depletion, cut air pollution, and foster long-term resilience in agriculture.
C. R. Babu, conservationist, founding director of DU’s Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, EX-Pro VC of DU, proposes, “Completely stopping stubble burning is extremely challenging. This issue is not new, as stubble burning has been happening for years. However, the environment has become less capable of absorbing the resulting dust particles due to continuously rising pollution, leading to higher AQI levels. To address air quality issues, the solution is to develop biodiversity parks for restoration in all open spaces and grow tree covers with three layers of vegetation. This vegetation will fully absorb dust through the canopy, ensuring that the air released is clean.”
Addressing the challenges of stubble burning requires a thoughtful embrace of sustainable alternatives that benefit agriculture, the environment, and public health. Solutions such as composting, biofuel production, biogas generation, and crop diversification present promising opportunities to reduce air pollution, enhance soil health, and create additional income streams for farmers.
India can draw inspiration from global strategies, particularly those from Southeast and East Asia. Countries like China, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Nepal effectively repurpose stubble for bio-energy, compost production, animal feed, and mushroom cultivation.
In regions like Australia and the UK, strict bans on stubble burning have proven effective. Globally, 62 countries generate electricity from biomass using crop residues. In China, agricultural biomass alone produces over 70,000 MW of power, with Jilin province relying entirely on it since 2015. Similarly, rice straw is processed into bio-ethanol in some nations, providing farmers with additional income. Others retain stubble on farms to improve soil fertility and support sustainable land management practices.
Collaborative efforts, such as those in the Philippines, involve NGOs, farmers, and research institutions working together to raise awareness of the harmful effects of stubble burning and promote alternative practices during community events.
However, scaling these solutions requires robust support from governments, businesses, and local communities. A collective commitment to sustainable practices will not only reduce environmental and health impacts but also build a resilient agricultural ecosystem, ensuring a sustainable future for India’s farmers.
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