ABSTRACT
Stubble burning is a major problem in north Indian states of India. The situation in these regions becomes very hazardous for health and well-being of every living creature. The situation in the major states need to be addressed by the government. It is the responsibility of the government to give proper living environment to its citizens. There is a need of the hour to tackle this situation and find out the possible environmental friendly alternatives for the same.
INTRODUCTION
Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November. Stubble burning is a process of setting on fire the straw stubble, left after the harvesting of grains, like paddy, wheat, etc. It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting method which leaves crop residue behind. Stubble Burning started when mechanized cutting of the crop happened, earlier human labour used to cut the crop which did not require the burning to remove the residue. Paddy stubble burning is practiced mainly in the Indo-Gangetic plains of Punjab, Haryana, and UP to clear the fields for rabi crop sowing. The paddy crop is harvested between the first and last weeks of October in Punjab and Haryana. Then, farmers sow the wheat crop from the first week of November until the middle of December.
INCREASE IN AIR AND ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION
A study estimates that crop residue 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 and 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. These gases are one of the main cause of the increasing environment pollution. October and November are the festive months in India, the air quality is already deteriorated due to Diwali. With the air quality of various states in India already in a depreciative state, stubble burning becomes an issue which is a matter of great disturbance to all the people especially those who are already vulnerable to diseases caused by air pollution. The smoke from the stubble burning mixed with the fog in winters becomes smog which is more hazardous and harmful. This smog is dangerous for not only humans but animals and other living organisms as well. The smog is also responsible for the accidents which happens in these regions. The winters in northern region becomes very problematic for the people who have breathing issues.
EFFECTS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Air pollution has negative consequences on a nation's economy in addition to its negative effects on health and the environment. The advancement in nation's economic and technological advancements determine how well air pollution is managed, it follows that increased pollution has a variety of negative effects on the economy of that nation. Due to the rise in air pollution over the past few years, Delhi has seen a 25–30% decline in the number of tourists visiting the city. According to Ghosh et al. (2019), the cumulative consequences of air pollution cost India's economy between 4.5 and 7.7% of its GDP in 2018 and increased to around 15% when extrapolated out to 2060. Air pollution also reduces employee productivity in various specialties by making them ill and reducing their ability to see (Sharma et al., 2019).
Local levels of government are also impacted by the cost of managing air pollution and welfare. For instance, it was determined that keeping air quality at a safe level would bring in 950 rupees (about $12.7 USD, assuming 1 USD = 75 rupees) and 2086 rupees (almost $27.8 USD) annually, respectively, for a typical household in Kolkata and Delhi (Kumar et al., 2015). In a related study, the cities of Kanpur and rural Punjab reported economic gains and losses of around 255 and 76 million rupees, respectively (Gupta, 2008; Kumar et al., 2015).
SOLUTIONS TO THE BURNING PROBLEM
The National Policy for Management of Crop Residue was made public in 2014 by the Union government, enabling farmers to save Rs 2,000 per hectare on the purchase of manure.
Treatment of stubble in-situ: One of the finest methods for preserving ecosystems is in situ management of crop leftovers. By assisting in the removal of crop waste, it preserves the soil's nutrient content.
1. Happy Seeder (used for sowing of crop in standing stubble)
2. Rotavator (used for land preparation and assimilation of crop stubble in the soil) (used for land preparation and incorporation of crop stubble in the soil)
3. Seed drill with no till (for land preparations directly sowing of seeds in the previous crop stubble)
4. Baler (used for collection of straw and producing bales of the paddy stubble) (used for collection of straw and making bales of the paddy stubble)
5. Straw Chopper Paddy (cutting of paddy stubble for easily mixing with the soil)
6. Binder Reaper (used for harvesting paddy stubble and making into bundles)
Because these devices are so pricey, the state governments need to step up and offer stronger subsidies so that farmers can afford them. According to the former agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, the government offers crop residue management equipment subsidies ranging from 50% to 80%. For two years, this programme has allocated Rs 1,151.80 crore to states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and the National Capital Region.
Ex-situ, or "off-site," treatment of crop residue: Ex-situ conservation and treatment of crop residue is also efficient. The remaining crops on the land in its natural habitat are destroyed. Plus, this method is considerably more environmentally friendly than burning stubble.
1. Making biochar from straw: Biochar is charcoal made from the pyrolysis of biomass without the presence of oxygen. A green, renewable source of carbon, biomass contains organic material from agriculture and forestry wastes. Biochar production from biomass results in the release of energy with negligible nitrogen and sulphur content. Crop leftovers are widely accessible and have a significant carbon content. Therefore, employing them to create biochar aids in the annual sequestration of enormous amounts of carbon in a stable form, thereby reducing the negative impacts on the environment.
2. Alternative uses for paddy stubble: This includes processing it as an alternative fuel source to generate energy in cement, sugar, or oil factories, and turning it into a pulp for the production of sustainable dinnerware. These are just a few of the creative yet practical uses for agricultural leftover.
3. 2G Ethanol from agro-waste: There is an increasing need for sustainable fuels to replace fossil-based ones, such as 2G ethanol made from agricultural waste. There is a tremendous potential to recover energy from crop wastes because grain crops only store half of the energy they capture in the grain that may be harvested. The production of second-generation (2G) bio-ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass can help achieve the twin goals of reducing stubble burning and substituting clean, renewable energy for fossil fuels.
Global warming and climate change have already escalated to serious concerns due to the fast industrialization and urbanisation. Thus, it is definitely time to demand a total ban on such burning practises and opt for environmentally friendly alternatives.
This Editorial Column is authored by Aanchal and Megha, second and first year students respectively at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
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