The Delhi government has also taken stringent measures to alleviate smog in the region. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November. The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) witnesses paddy stubble burning to clear fields for the sowing of wheat crops.

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Last week, Punjab reported 512 farm fires. This year between 15 September and 22 November, the state recorded 36,118 cases of farm fires so far.

The state had reported 70,945 and 49,604 stubble burning incidents in the corresponding period of 2021 and 2022, respectively.

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Environmentalists have argued that the most harmful method to treat crop residue, that is stubble,  is burning. However, the tight window between rice harvesting and wheat planting has compelled farmers in the Indo-Gigantic plains to resort to stubble burning.

The stubble burning causes loss of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium oxide, sulphur, and micronutrients.

In a report in Down to Earth, agricultural scientist KT Gangadhar has recommended a few suggestions, implemented by farmers in south India to treat stubble.

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The scientists asserted that the agricultural history of north India showed that certain eco-friendly practices had waned in the region. Whereas, in south India, particularly in the Cauvery basin, practices like mulching, could be a solution to mitigating the smog problem of the north.

Citing reports from the Agricultural Sciences University in Bidar, one tonne of paddy straw contains significant amounts of essential nutrients and micro-nutrients lost during burning.

DV Veeresh, the general secretary of the Shivamogga unit of Hasiru Sene highlighted the benefit of stubble mulching in Down to Earth magazine. He said that good farm machinery can pulverise the wheat, paddy, and jowar (sorghum) stubbles. The machinery can shred the stubble to powder mix it with earth and enrich it.

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He said that mulching has helped in bringing down the cost of fertilisers and the quality of soil remains constant in nutrient content.

Manjunath Gowda, a farm and environmental activist from the South Cauvery Farmers Association told the environmental magazine that not even a single incident of stubble burning in the whole of south India has been reported in the past 50 years.

agricultural scientist Gangadhar also emphasised on the production of alternative crops to reduce stubble output. “Considering the persistent nature of stubble burning, an enduring solution may involve incentivising farmers to shift away from rice and wheat cultivation entirely”.

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Updated: 27 Nov 2023, 11:30 AM IST