Stubble burning

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Stubble burning in Essex, England in 1986 Stubble burning in North Essex - geograph.org.uk - 1448777.jpg
Stubble burning in Essex, England in 1986

Stubble burning is the practice of intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, such as rice and wheat, have been harvested. The technique is used to quickly and cheaply clear fields. It is still widespread today.

Contents

Stubble burning has been associated with increasing air pollution over the past few decades due to the particulate matter contamination it distributes into the atmosphere. In India, stubble burning generates a thick haze. These fires pose a significant health risk to individuals across all ages. [1]

In countries such as India and Pakistan, stubble burning is illegal. [2] Enforcement is weak, allowing the practice to continue. [2]

Effects

This visualization shows fires detected in the United States from July 2002 through July 2011. Fires that reliably burn each year in western states and across the Southeast are likely to be deliberate.

The burning of stubble has both positive and negative consequences.

Generally helpful effects

Generally harmful effects

A wide array of health disorders are associated with the stubble burning emission releases which have caused people to develop lung cancer and respiratory infections. The emissions also threaten the health of children who tend to have weaker organs.[ citation needed ] Not only that but the smog from the stubble burning also severely affects people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder as it worsens their health conditions.[ citation needed ] India also has the highest number of blind people in the world and if the smog gets in your eyes you are more likely to develop cataracts.[ citation needed ] Additionally, people who have been exposed to smog can develop eye irritation, eye-watering, and conjunctival hyperemia symptoms. [7] In order to reduce pollution there needs to be severe attention to the issue involved with effective sustainable management practices enforced by the government. The Indian government has been receiving intense backlash for not reacting quickly enough to the health emergency, especially amongst the green revolution that is bringing attention to climate change concerns.

Alternative to stubble burning

The solutions to reduce the pollution from stubble burning involve mitigating crop farming, adhering to diversification of agriculture, adopting the paddy straw farming technique, and making biomass pellets.[ citation needed ]

Agriculture residues can have other uses, such as in particle board [8] and biofuel, [9] though these uses can still cause problems like erosion and nutrient loss.

Spraying an enzyme, which decomposes the stubble into useful fertiliser, improves the soil, avoids air pollution and prevents carbon dioxide emissions. [10]

Several companies worldwide use leftover agricultural waste to make new products. Agricultural waste can serve as raw materials for new applications, such as paper and board, [11] bio-based oils, [12] leather, [13] catering disposables, [14] fuel [15] and plastic. [16] Another important way to manage the agricultural waste from stubble burning would be to detoxify the soil after it has been burned and using aerobic and anaerobic techniques that recycle organic matter. [17]

Empowering farmers to use sustainable solutions

Another way to reduce particulate matter pollution entails the requirement of bringing severe attention to the issue in accordance with effective sustainable management practices and government support. Active stakeholder acknowledgment by the farm owners that are producing the products that are used in stubble burning will need to form agreements with the government too. Unfortunately, many of the farmers that contribute to the pollution are unaware of the implications of how harmful stubble burning is for the earth especially as to how it depletes soil of nutrients and contaminates the air. Empowering farmers and educating them about the harmful consequences that stubble burning causes to the atmosphere is also necessary for stubble burning pollution reduction. [17]

Attitudes toward stubble burning

India

Burning of rice residues after harvest, to quickly prepare the land for wheat planting, around Sangrur, Punjab, India NP India burning 48 (6315309342).jpg
Burning of rice residues after harvest, to quickly prepare the land for wheat planting, around Sangrur, Punjab, India

Stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in north India has been cited as a major cause of air pollution in Delhi since 1980. [27] Consequently, the government is considering implementation of the 1,600 km long and 5 km wide Great Green Wall of Aravalli. [28] The smog that arises from the burning contributes fine black and brown carbon into the atmosphere which affects light absorption. [17] As the weather is cooler in November in India, the stubble burning generates a thick haze of fog, dust, and industrial pollution. [17] From April to May and October to November each year, farmers mainly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh burn an estimated 35 million tons [29] of crop waste from their wheat and paddy fields after harvesting as a low-cost straw-disposal practice to reduce the turnaround time between harvesting and sowing for the first (summer) crop and the second (winter) crop. [30] Smoke from this burning produces a cloud of particulates visible from space [31] and has produced what has been described as a "toxic cloud" in New Delhi, resulting in declarations of an air-pollution emergency. [32] For this, the NGT (National Green Tribunal) instituted a fine of ₹2 lakh on the Delhi Government for failing to file an action plan providing incentives and infrastructural assistance to farmers to stop them from burning crop residue to prevent air pollution. [33]

Although harvesters such as the Indian-manufactured "Happy Seeder" that shred the crop residues into small pieces and uniformly spread them across the field are available as an alternative to burning stubble, and crops such as millets and maize can be grown as a sustainable alternative to rice and wheat in order to conserve water, some farmers complain that the cost of these machines is a significant financial burden, with the crops not incurred under MSP prices when compared to burning the fields and purchasing crops that are produced under MSP prices. [30]

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute, developed an enzyme bio-decomposer solution, that can be sprayed after the harvest, to increase organic carbon in the soil and maintain overall soil health. [10] In 2021, they began licensing its use to various companies. [34] In May 2022, the Government of Punjab announced they will purchase maize, bajra, sunflower and moong crops at MSP, encouraging farmers to adopt less water consuming options as a sustainable alternative to paddy and wheat in the wake of fast-depleting groundwater. [35]

The pollution from stubble burning in India

A recent study in 2020 showed that the country created 600-700 million tonnes of crop residue and is choking cities. [36] People in India are awaiting sustainable management to reduce the pollution. The areas that are largely contributing to the stubble burning pollutants are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,[ citation needed ] and Haryana which is spreading to the border of Uttarakhand. [36] The unsustainable use of alternating wheat-rice cropping patterns [37] is exhausting natural resources like water, soil, and forest areas.[ citation needed ] In one year the emissions from the crop burning can be 17 times the total annual particulate pollution [36] and the crop residue carbon dioxide submissions are 64 times the element emissions in Delhi. [36] The crops that are typically burned include rice, wheat, maize, millet, and sugarcane,[ citation needed ] all of which have large investment returns [17] and also leave a residue on the field after being cut. After 1 tonne of crop residue is burnt in a field there is a release of 1,400 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2), 58 kg of Carbon Monoxide (CO), 11 kg of particulate matter, 4.9 kg of nitrogen oxides (NOx), [37] and 1.2 kg of sulfur dioxide (SO2). [36] Stubble burning also depletes groundwater [36] and the lack of attention to the issue has led Indian civilians to feel hopeless for effective government interventional responses. [38]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoke</span> Mass of airborne particulates and gases

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crop residue</span> The stalks , leaves , husks, roots, etc. left after crop is harvested and processed

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air pollution</span> Presence of dangerous substances in the atmosphere

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in India</span>

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Environmental problems in Delhi, India, are a threat to the well-being of the city's and area's inhabitants as well as the flora and fauna. Delhi, the ninth-most populated metropolis in the world (second largest if the entire NCR includes especially Faridabad and Gurugram– Haryana, is one of the most heavily polluted cities in India, having for instance one of the country's highest volumes of particulate matter pollution. The air quality index of Delhi is generally Good, Satisfactory and Moderate levels between March and September, and then it drastically deteriorates to Poor, Severe, or Hazardous levels in five months between October and February, due to various factors including stubble burning, burning of effigies during Vijayadashami, bursting of firecrackers burning during Diwali and cold weather. In May 2014 the World Health Organization announced New Delhi as the most polluted city in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air pollution in India</span>

Air pollution in India is a serious environmental issue. Of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019. As per a study based on 2016 data, at least 140 million people in India breathe air that is 10 times or more over the WHO safe limit and 13 of the world's 20 cities with the highest annual levels of air pollution are in India. The main contributors to India's particulate air pollution include industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, dependence on thermal power for electricity, waste burning, and use of wood and dung by low-income and rural households for cooking and heating. 51% of India's air pollution is caused by industrial pollution, 27% by vehicles, 17% by crop burning and 5% by other sources. Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year. Emissions come from vehicles and industry, whereas in rural areas, much of the pollution stems from biomass burning for cooking and keeping warm. In autumn and spring months, large scale crop residue burning in agriculture fields – a cheaper alternative to mechanical tilling – is a major source of smoke, smog and particulate pollution. India has a low per capita emissions of greenhouse gases but the country as a whole is the third largest greenhouse gas producer after China and the United States. A 2013 study on non-smokers has found that Indians have 30% weaker lung function than Europeans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air pollution in Delhi</span> Overview of the air pollution in the Indian city of Delhi

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy seeder</span> Type of agricultural machinery

A Happy Seeder is a no-till planter, towed behind a tractor, that sows (plants) seeds in rows directly without any prior seedbed preparation. It is operated with the PTO of the tractor and is connected to it with three-point linkage. It consists of a straw managing chopper and a zero till drill that makes it possible to sow new crop in the residue of the previous crop. Flail type straight blades are mounted on the straw management rotor that chops the stubbles that comes in contact with the sowing tine. It deposits the residue of the previous crop over the sown field as mulch. Mainly, it is used to sow wheat after the paddy harvest in North India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidyut Mohan</span>

Vidyut Mohan is an Indian social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Takachar, a company that recycles agricultural waste into marketable carbon products, offering an alternative to the heavily polluting practice of burning agricultural byproducts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firecrackers in India</span> Laws on use of firecrackers

A firecracker is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to contain the explosive compound. Firecrackers, along with fireworks, originated in China. They are easily available in India and are used to mark a celebratory event. Anyone 18 and over can buy them without a license if allowed by the local laws.

A super seeder is a no-till planter, towed behind a tractor, that sows (plants) especially wheat seeds in rows directly without any prior seedbed preparation. It is operated with the PTO of the tractor and is connected to it with three-point linkage. The Super Seeder is an advanced agricultural machine than Happy seeder, engineered to revolutionize traditional farming methods. It offers an efficient, time-saving solution, allowing farmers to sow wheat seeds directly after rice harvest without the need for prior stubble burning, thereby contributing significantly to environmental preservation. It is mostly used to sow wheat seeds after the paddy harvest in North Indian states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 India–Pakistan smog</span> Record-breaking air pollution event in South Asia

The 2024 India–Pakistan smog is a severe record-breaking air pollution event that affected Eastern and Northern Pakistan and North India in November 2024, primarily in the Pakistani city of Lahore and Indian city of Delhi. The smog resulted in the overwhelming of the Pakistani healthcare system due to respiratory disease and throat and eye irritations, leading to widespread school closures and restrictions on public activities particularly in Pakistan's Punjab region.

References

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