It's A Foggy Autumn As Farmers Start Burning Stubble

Punjab's agriculturists are burning crop residue as even subsidised mulchers and choppers remain out of reach, and diesel is too costly.

- Punjab's agriculturists are burning crop residue as even subsidised mulchers and choppers remain out of reach, and diesel is too costly.

As autumn sets in, farmers in Punjab have begun harvesting the kharif paddy crop and preparing the fields for the winter crop.

And as has been the practice, despite official injunctions, paddy stubble is being set on fire, raising fears of a spike in air pollution across the northern States, including the national capital New Delhi. Aggravating the problem is the retreat of the southwest monsoon, setting off north-westerly winds which blow into the plains, carrying the smoke from the stubble.

Paddy is grown on 30 lakh hectares in Punjab. After harvesting, about 20 million tonnes of paddy straw is left in the fields. It is estimated that 15 million tonnes of paddy straw are burnt every year. On a sunny afternoon, a group of six farmers in their sixties in Rolu Majra village in Rupnagar district are weighing the options for disposing the paddy stubble.

Burning the crop residue is the "unanimous" decision, unless there is financial compensation from the government.

Prohibitive costs

To solve the problem of stubble without burning, the State has provided agro-ma-chines and other equipment, including mulchers and choppers, at subsidised rates to farmers and cooperative societies on a Central outlay of around 2650 crore for 2018-20.