Age sits light on his shoulders; and he follows knowledge science and research like a sinking star beyond the utmost horizon of human thoughts. He is a nonagenarian who works locally and thinks globally. A highly-acclaimed metallurgist, Founder-father of a National Laboratory under CSIR, presently known as the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar, a former Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, he is a kaleidoscopic personality still lost in his laboratory to provide solutions to many problems and predicaments confronting the nation especially relating to scientific issues. Padma Shri Prof Dr Prafulla Kumar Jena is an internationally-known scientist and educationalist with specialisation in metallurgical engineering and environmental science. He has made very significant contributions through planning and executing R&D projects and teaching programmes in areas of his specialisation as a Scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Professor and Head of the Department of Metallurgy at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Director, Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Bhubaneswar, Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, First Distinguished Professor of the Tata Chair in Metallurgical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur, Senior Visiting Professor at Tohoku University, Japan and Catholic University of Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil and is presently active as Chairman of the Institute of Advance Technology & Environmental Studies (IATES), Bhubaneswar. In an interview to The Pioneer, Dr Jena spoke to Sugyan Choudhury giving valuable suggestions to both Union and State Governments for making the best use of crop stubbles to arrest the catastrophic environmental degradation.
What’s your opinion about the environmental pollution of our national capital Delhi?
Delhi, for the last several days, is covered with thick layers of smog all day and night. As a result, the residents are choked with poisonous gases including oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur along with particulate matters (PMs). Many, particularly children and old ones, are to suffer from various deadly diseases like asthma, cold and cough, tuberculosis, cancer. The transport system including rail and air flights and trade and business activities are very much affected. Schools have been closed. The polluting agents are mainly stubble burning in neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the burning of fossil fuels in transport system and industries, burning of garbage, construction of roads and houses in Delhi. The contribution of burning of stubbles towards pollution is nearly 40% to 50%. At present, Delhi is the most polluted city not only in India but in the world. In Delhi, the PM level is much higher than that of any other city in the world. For example, in January 2015, the average PM level in Delhi was 226 whereas that in Beijing which was considered to be a polluted city was 95. That means Delhi air was more than two times as bad as that of Beijing air. Now, it is reported that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is 999 while that of the other cities in the world is less than 100. According to experts, the harmful effect in inhaling such polluted air is equivalent to smoking 45 to 50 cigarettes a day. The contribution of stubble burning in thousands of hectares of farmland in the three neighboring States is mostly responsible for Delhi’s polluted air.
What are then the possible remedial measures against this environmental degradation?
To avoid environmental pollution which is also responsible for global warming and climate change, now over the world more importance is given to use renewable energy from sun, wind and biomass.
How can biomass play an effective role?
Biomass is considered by scientists as the most potential material for producing renewable energy and can be effective to replace the polluting fossil fuels to a considerable extent. For examples, one tonne of biomass can produce 85 KWH electricity or 50 gallons (189 litres) of biofuel. The two processes for conversion of biomass into energy namely through thermo-chemical and bio-chemical processes are techno-economically viable. The thermo-chemical process includes combustion, gasification and pyrolysis. The bio-chemical conversion includes anaerobic digestion and fermentation.
How can stubbles provide the panacea to the crisis?
The stubbles which are now being burned in the fields are enormous in quantities. It is suggested that the stubbles after the harvest of crops should be taken out from the fields and used for producing bio-energy as it is done for other agricultural and domestic organic wastes. At present, the biomass contributes about 14% of global energy supply. In India, the technology for producing bio-energy from biomass is now available and is being utilised. As a matter fact, in the year 2013, a total of 4449 MW equivalent energy was installed under bio-energy in grid connected and off-grid capacity. In India, small-scale biogas plants with 4.5 million-tonne-capacity have already been established. Therefore, the stubbles should be collected and utilised for producing bio-energy. The farmers in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh should be advised to allow the biogas producing companies to collect the stubbles from them maybe by paying some nominal amounts and set up the bio-energy producing units in nearby areas. As the need for bio-energy is increasing rapidly, the stubbles which are plenty in quantity would add substantially to generate more bio-energy.
What is your final prescription to the Union and State Governments in this regard?
It is high time the Government of India planned to increase the resource of biomass through plantation of trees. It is estimated that about 5 GW of power can be harnessed from biomass through plantation on about 2 million hectares of forest and non-forest degraded land. The use of stubbles shall play a catalytic role in substantial addition to this. Further, it is my suggestion to the Government of India that in and around Delhi and also in the neighboring States, large-scale plantation of fast-growing species in barren areas and around cultivable lands be taken up on a war footing. This would not only keep the atmosphere free of the polluting gases but also provide some more biomass for producing bio-energy. With effective planning, coordination and cooperation of all concerned, including the State Governments, it would be possible to keep the atmosphere clean in Delhi and in all other States.