Stubble burning
Why do Punjab and Haryana participate:
- In an effort to increase India’s capacity to produce food grains, Punjab and Haryana advocated the rotation of paddy and wheat crops in the 1960s.
- High yielding varieties were chosen, and significant government investments in irrigation were made, to achieve the goal and ensure the security of the nation’s food supply.
- Between 1966 and 1967, paddy (rice) production climbed from 4.97% to 20% in Haryana and from 6.8% to 36.4% of the gross cultivated area in Punjab.
What obstacles must be overcome to put a halt to stubble burning?
- Once the paddy crop is harvested, farmers will plant wheat using seed drill machines that they have already purchased.
- In an effort to reduce stubble burning and raise prices for the farmers, the government is increasing the pressure on farmers to use “happy seeders.”
- The machine would still remain idle for the whole year and require money to maintain, even if subsidies totaling about Rs. 1 lakh were used to make it available.
- The cost charged per acre is significantly lower than the cost of a “happy seeder,” so charging for the burning of straw is once again improper.
What negative effects do unsuccessful public endeavours have?
- Land erosion, poor soil health as a result of excessive fertiliser and pesticide use, and declining water levels are some of the negative externalities of the green revolution.
- There is little doubt that as paddy crops have spread, the land used for maize, cotton, oilseeds, and sugarcane has reduced.
- Farmers are compelled to use this cycle by the minimum support price policy for commodities, guaranteed procurement, and input subsidies.
What actions must be taken?
- Crop diversification: By raising pricing incentives and expanding marketing infrastructure, the government promotes crop diversification toward less water-intensive crops.
- Effective Measures Production and sales of alternative crops should be increased by implementing the “price deficiency system” technique utilised in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
- Another choice is the Telangana model, which replaces price-based aid with an annual investment support of Rs. 8,000 per acre.
- Building specialised employment facilities or allowing businesses to invest for rental purposes are potential substitutes for leasing services.
- There are examples of this in Nigeria, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, if the state provides an app-based help system. Farmers can also rent out tractors and other farm equipment to get extra money.
