Crop Residue Burning : Solutions Marred by Policy Confusion

Social Issues Clean India

In the ongoing debate on resolving the issue of crop residue burning, policy statements have created confusion.

Paddy straw that contains silica is not considered suitable for use as animal feed and it is burnt in the fields
As the time lag between harvesting of the paddy and sowing of wheat is only 3 weeks, farmers burn paddy straw to quickly clear their fields.
There is a general perception among the farmers that if paddy straw is not cleared from the fields immediately, it would hamper the growth of the succeeding crop.

Air is polluted with gases injurious to health which makes children & the elderly prone to sickness, which often proves fatal in many cases.
With decline in visibility due to smog, road/rail accidents also take place frequently, snatching away thousands of lives.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been issuing directions to governments of Punjab, Haryana, UP & Rajasthan which have issued orders to fine those farmers found burning crop residue.
But, until now, these orders have been largely defied by farmers who find no other alternative to burning.
Zero tillage technology using Happy Seeder machines or mixing of crop residue in the soil through mulching requires purchase of costly machines beyond their reach.
The operation of these machines requires tractors with stronger horsepower than those possessed by most of the farmers

There are four uses for crop residues, such as generation of power, production of cardboard & packing material, production of ethanol by fermentation, and bio-compressed natural gas (CNG).
In addition, the agricultural research system has been working on building new machines to mulch paddy and other crop residues in the soil itself to increase fertility.

First, the National policy on Biofuels does not cover support to bio-CNG produced from paddy straw in the form of MSP for straw .
Second, a budgetary provision has been created for providing subsidy, for purchasing machinery to retain crop straw as mulch for maintaining soil fertility. This incentive is meant to discourage the farmers from collecting the straw for disposal to bio-CNG plants.
In fact, two lobbies have become active in the region. Bio-CNG and ethanol producers want farmers to collect paddy straw from their farms to be supplied to the plant locations, while another lobby of machine sellers wants the straw to be processed in the fields itself.
There is a lack of coordination between the Min. of Agriculture & Min. of New & Renewable Energy as policy documents create confusion among the state governments, which are supposed to tackle the issue under the directions of NGT

This is an avoidable confusion if coordination is done properly.
A common agency like the NITI Aayog, can play this role better by involving different ministries and experts.
The states need to be given a solution acceptable to all the stakeholders.