Stubble Burning
About:
- The term “stumbble” refers to the remaining paddy with deep-rooted trees.
- After harvesting the paddy, the farmers cut off the crop’s lucrative top section, leaving the crop’s useless lower section in the field.
What promotes the growth of burning stubble?
- The goal of intentionally setting agricultural residue (stubble) on fire is to clear the field and get it ready for the next harvest.
- If stubble is left on the farm, termites and other pests will be drawn there, destroying the subsequent harvest.
- It is often required in areas where combined harvesting leaves agricultural residue behind.
Burning Stubble Effects:
- Air Quality: In 2019, measurements from Delhi-NCR air quality monitoring stations were much higher above the emergency threshold of 999 on the Air Quality Index.
- As a direct result of the emissions, the Himalayan glaciers are melting, Delhi has haze, and the environment is suffering.
- PM 2.5 and PM10 in particular are carcinogenic particles.
- According to estimates, burning stubble costs India’s economy more than $30 billion a year in air pollution-related costs.
- Burning reduces soil microbial activity, organic matter levels, and essential nutrients, all of which are detrimental to long-term productivity.
- Health: Cancer, emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are among the severe neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory disorders (COPD). The death rate increases with continued exposure to extremely high pollution levels.
Alternatives, as needed:
- The Union government released the National Policy for Management of Crop Residue in 2014.
- Using tools like these, farmers may manage agricultural wastes properly:
- Cheers, (A method for cultivating plants on uncut stubble) (A method for planting crops in untouched stubble) Seeder (used for planting of crop in standing stubble) (used for sowing of crop in standing stubble)
- Rotavator (used to prepare the soil and mix crop residue into it) (used to prepare the soil and incorporate crop residue into it) (used to get the soil ready and incorporate crop waste into it) (used to prepare the soil and incorporate agricultural waste into it) (used to get the soil ready and mix agricultural waste into the soil) (used to enrich the soil by adding crop waste there)
- an untilled seed drill (used to prepare the soil before planting seeds directly into crop residue from the previous harvest)
- (Used to assemble bundles made of rice husks and straw) (Used to assemble bundles of rice husks and straw) Baler (used for collection of straw and producing bales of the paddy stubble) (used for collection of straw and producing bales of the paddy stubble) (used for straw harvesting and for converting paddy stubble into bales).
