Can’t bear the blame anymore… What happened that the cases of stubble burning have reduced in the neighborhoods of Delhi?

New Delhi: Like the last few years, this time too Delhi’s air is in very bad condition. AQI 345 was also recorded on the first of December. This is the situation when the cases of stubble burning have reduced significantly this time. Especially in Haryana, this time there have been very few cases of stubble burning. Every time farmers were questioned for air pollution. In such a situation, this time farmers burnt less stubble with special planning. Every year at this time, burnt leaves were a common sight in the fields of villages like Pehowa, Shahabad and Bassi of Kurukshetra. This is because it is one of the main paddy growing districts of the state. However, this time it seems less so.

Reduction in stubble burning cases

This time, in districts like Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Jind, Fatehabad and Sirsa, instead of burning the stubble, farmers converted it into bales with baler machines. The reason for this is the increased availability of baler machines and the subsidy given by the government. Additionally, the timely end of the monsoon gave farmers more time to clear the fields. However, the work of disposal of stubble is only half done. The remaining stubble needs to be transported to power plants, for which government help is necessary.

Farmers did wonders in Haryana

This year, there has been a huge reduction in the incidents of stubble burning in Haryana. According to IARI satellite data, 1,315 stubble burning incidents were recorded in the state between September 15 and November 25. This is 42 percent less than the 2,285 cases in the same period last year. In 2021, 6,995 stubble burning incidents were recorded in the state, the worst figure in recent years. This year’s decline is no coincidence.

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How the cases of fire in fields reduced

According to farmers and government officials, this is the result of successful implementation of the stubble management plan. The increased availability of baler machines and government subsidies encouraged farmers to bale stubble instead of burning it. Apart from this, timely departure of monsoon gave farmers more time to clear the fields and prepare for sowing of Rabi crop.

‘Big change brought about by new machines’

In villages like Pehowa, Shahabad and Bassi in Kurukshetra district, one of the major paddy producing areas of the state, remains of burnt paddy were a common sight in the fields during this time. But this year, many farmers did not burn the stubble. They converted the stubble into bales using baler machines. Vikas Singh, owner of 25 acres of land, said that the new machines have brought a big change this time. I did not need to burn the stubble. he/she says, pointing towards the bales of straw kept in the field, which are kept in a pile near the baler machine.

That’s why farmers used to set fire to their fields

In a hurry to clear the fields before sowing the Rabi crop, farmers used to set fire to paddy straw. This is the case in many districts of Haryana and Punjab, and in the last decade it has become the biggest pollution problem in Delhi and surrounding areas. This year, many farmers who had been burning stubble for years did not do so. The reason for this was the greater availability of baler machines, so that they could convert the stubble into bales and organize them. This was a better option for them than lawsuits, fines and health risks caused by smoke.

No need to burn stubble with new machines

Evidence of the effectiveness of these machines can be seen in the fields of Kurukshetra, where only 132 stubble burning incidents were recorded this season. Whereas three years ago this number was 538. Other agricultural districts like Kaithal (194 this year, 1,154 in 2021), Karnal (95/955), Jind (213/911), Fatehabad (130/1,477) and Sirsa (181/548) also saw a similar decline. This year’s figures are not just a coincidence or an exception.

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This is how success is being achieved in stubble management

According to farmers and government officials, this is the result of various parts of the stubble management plan finally falling into place. The state government purchased baler machines and made them available to farmers at 50% subsidy. This helped farmers come together to buy and use the machine (about Rs 7.5 lakh after subsidy), which played an important role in this transformation.

what do officials say

Bharat Wahi, junior engineer at the agriculture department, said, ‘After understanding the problems of farmers, we introduced more machines to help them. This didn’t happen overnight. We have given superseeders to farmers, which they prefer for in-situ management of stubble. We also provided straw balers. They make bales of straw weighing 25-30 kg, which can go up to 5 quintals (500 kg).’ According to government officials, this time around 90,000 superseeders and balers have been deployed in fields across the state.

How everyone is happy with Baler’s success

The success of the baler has given confidence to the agriculture department officials that they now have a framework ready to work on the plan to further reduce the incidents of stubble burning next year and make the state stubble burning free. This year, the weather also helped stubble management plans.

The role of monsoon was also important

Due to delay in monsoon rains, farmers got more time to clean their fields. Therefore, there was no rush to get rid of the stubble so that the baler could do its work. Moreover, compared to Punjab, the ground reality in Haryana makes it relatively easier to implement the stubble management plan. For one thing, the area under paddy cultivation in the state is only one-third that of Punjab, a large part of which is used to grow basmati.

This is how farmers became successful in cleaning the fields

Basmati straw accounts for about 30 percent of the total paddy straw produced in the state. Since it does not thicken like other paddy varieties, it can be used as animal fodder, thereby reducing the stubble management burden of the state. For the remaining farmers, the burden of in-situ management creates the problem of stubble burning, in which factors such as weather and economics play a role. In-situ management, which involves mixing the stubble with soil and letting it rot until the next crop can be grown, takes time and is not a facility that every farmer has. After paddy harvest, some farmers grow potatoes and peas for additional earnings until the time of planting the winter crop, wheat. Therefore, they want the fields to be cleared as soon as possible.

Farmers are avoiding burning stubble with special technology

This year, by decisively improving in-situ management of stubble, Haryana has made good progress in curbing incidents of stubble burning. However, questions can still be raised that only 50 percent of the problem is solved. The remaining 50 per cent, which will determine the direction of the stubble burning graph in the coming years, will come when the state takes the responsibility of transporting the stubble to power plants.

Farmers asked for more cooperation from the government

Vikas Singh said that transporting the bales to the factories is still a challenge. If the government can help in this, it will be a perfect solution. The government estimates that out of the 81 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy straw produced in Haryana this season, about 33 LMT can be managed in-situ. About 23 LMT will be used as animal feed. The rest, about 25 LMT, requires ex-situ management so that it can be directed to use in industries.

Will the game not catch fire in the future?

Owners of small factories that convert paddy straw into pellets, which are used to make fuel by power plants. he/she said that their demand is high but the important challenge is to get the straw bales on time. Ravinder Singh Sandhu said that in 2019 I was able to produce 100 tonnes of pellets per day. Now, it is 200 tonnes. Demand has increased, but I need the bales on time. Whose Shahabad based firm supplies paddy pellets to National Thermal Power Corporation. Another firm, Hind Samachar Limited, said it consumes 2,200 tonnes of straw to produce biofuel.