Shifting Patterns in Stubble Burning

• 06 Nov 2024

Why in News?

Madhya Pradesh has seen a sharp increase in Stubble burning cases, surpassing Punjab with over 10,000 farm fires reported.

Key Points

• The changing trends in stubble burning have added complexity to the harvest-season practice, which heavily contributes to North India's air pollution.
• Regional Trends:
  • Alarming Rise in Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh recorded 506 stubble-burning cases surpassing its previous high of 296 cases, indicating a significant rise.
  • Positive Reduction in Punjab: Punjab reduced its stubble-burning incidents from 587 to 262, showing a promising decline in crop residue burning.
  • Increases in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan: Uttar Pradesh's cases jumped from 16 to 84 in a day, while Rajasthan’s incidents rose from 36 to 98, marking the season's second-highest count.
  • Progress in Haryana: Haryana reported a downward trend, with cases dropping from 42 to 13, reflecting progress in managing stubble burning.

Stubble Burning

• About:
  • 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, coinciding with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.
  • 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.
  • It is a common practice in October and November across North West India, but primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Effects of Stubble Burning:
  • Pollution: Emits large amounts of toxic pollutants in the atmosphere which contain harmful gases like methane (CH4), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
    • These pollutants disperse in the surroundings, may undergo a physical and chemical transformation and eventually adversely affect human health by causing a thick blanket of smog.
  • Soil Fertility: Burning husk on the ground destroys the nutrients in the soil, making it less fertile.
  • Heat Penetration: The heat generated by stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the loss of moisture and useful microbes.
• Alternatives to Stubble Burning:
  • In-Situ Treatment of Stubble: For example, crop residue management by zero-tiller machine and Use of bio-decomposers.
  • Ex-Situ (off-site) Treatment: For example, Use of rice straw as cattle fodder.
  • Use of Technology: For example Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) machine, which can uproot the stubble and also sow seeds in the area cleared. The stubble can then be used as mulch for the field.