Context (TH, 2025): With the paddy harvesting season underway in Punjab, stubble burning has re-emerged as a significant environmental and public health concern. Despite a visible decline in the number of recorded fire incidents, the total burnt area remains largely unchanged, reflecting the deep-rooted structural and economic issues behind the practice.
Why Do Farmers Continue to Burn Stubble?
- Short Cropping Window:
Farmers have only 20–25 days between paddy harvest (late October) and wheat sowing (mid-November). This limited time forces them to resort to burning for rapid field clearing. (Punjab Agricultural University, 2024) - Labour Shortage:
Mechanisation and rural migration have reduced the agricultural workforce by ~45% over the past decade. (NITI Aayog, 2023) - High Machinery Cost:
Machines like the Happy Seeder and Super Straw Management System (SMS) cost between ₹1.5–2 lakh, which remains unaffordable for smallholders even after 50–80% subsidy. - Fragmented Landholdings:
Small and fragmented farms (average size 1.9 ha in Punjab, 1.4 ha in Haryana) make residue management uneconomical. (Agricultural Census, 2021) - Weak Enforcement:
While penalties are prescribed under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, enforcement is lax due to socio-political sensitivities at the local level.
Environmental and Health Impacts
- Stubble burning contributes up to 35–45% of Delhi-NCR’s winter PM2.5 levels.
- Releases CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O, aggravating climate change.
- Causes smog, respiratory illness, and soil nutrient depletion.
Way Forward
In-situ Management:
Promote Happy Seeder and Super SMS through Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) under ICAR’s Crop Residue Management Scheme.
Ex-situ Utilisation:
Divert paddy straw to biogas, paper, and biomass power plants. Under the SATAT Scheme, India aims to set up 5000 Compressed Biogas plants.
Direct Incentives:
Provide ₹2000–₹3000 per acre to farmers avoiding residue burning. Pilot programs in Sangrur and Patiala reduced fire incidents by 60%.
Behavioural Change:
Campaigns like “No Burn November” and school-based awareness drives are essential to shift community behaviour.
Digital Monitoring:
Integrate MODIS, VIIRS, and Sentinel-2 satellite data with on-ground verification for real-time fire mapping. (PGIMER Chandigarh, 2025)
Conclusion:
While policy interventions have made progress, long-term sustainability requires a blend of economic incentives, decentralised residue utilisation, and behavioural change, making stubble management a collective environmental responsibility.