31,402 farm fires detected in Delhi’s neighbourhood from Oct 1 to Nov 3
As the blame-game over Delhi’s pollution due to stubble burning in neighbouring States continues, it turns out that farmers in Haryana, Punjab and UP together burn about one-third of the total crop waste, utilising the rest for their agricultural purposes. The three States generate a little over 50 million metric tonnes of stubble, of which the farmers burn about 16 million metric tonnes.
This year, as many as 31,402 stubble burning incidents were detected between October 1 and November 3. Of them, 25,366 incidents were detected in Punjab, 4,414 in Haryana, and 1,622 in UP.
Going by estimates, Punjab alone produces 19-20 lakh metric tonnes of paddy straw and about 20 lakh metric tonnes of wheat straw. Of them, 10 lakh metric tonnes paddy straw are burnt by the farmers, while the half of the paddy straw residue is used by them for other purposes.
Similarly, Haryana generates 7.93 lakh metric tonnes of paddy straw residue every season. Of them, only 1.94 lakh is burnt by farmers in the farms while the rest is used by them. In UP, around 12 lakh tone paddy straw residue is burnt by the farmers.
According to a Government estimate, over 500 million tonnes (MT) of agricultural straw are produced every year in the country, and with growing production of rice and wheat, residue generation has increased manifold.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually burn the residue after harvesting paddy in the autumn to clear the fields for the sowing of wheat.
In late September and October each year, farmers mainly in those Punjab, Haryana and UP burn crop waste from their paddy fields after harvesting, as a low-cost straw-disposal practice to reduce the turnaround time between harvesting and sowing for the second (winter) crop. They do not burn rabi crop wheat residue which is used for animals fodder.
“Farmers find stubble burning as an easy option as a way of its disposal in the wake of limited time available for next crop sowing. They are compelled to burn stubble as they do not have any other feasible and cheap option,” said Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal faction) president Balbir Singh Rajewal.
The Agriculture Ministry’s data shows that Uttar Pradesh recorded 48.2 per cent reduction in stubble burning between October 1 and November 4, Haryana 11.7 per cent, and Punjab 8.7 per cent as compared to the last year.
As per latest data, the Union Agriculture Ministry has claimed its efforts has led to 12.01 per cent reduction in stubble burning incidents in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh from October 1 to November 4 as compared to the last year, with 1000 FIRs have been registered against the guilty farmers.
Despite these claims, the pollution level in Delhi is one of the worst in the world. US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released satellite images that show a dramatic increase in stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana between October 21 and October 29.
The Government says during 2018-19, it released funds of `575 crore to buy 56000 agri machines to farmers to control in-situ stubble burning. Of them, the amount of `269.38 crore, `137.84 crore and `148.60 crore to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. Within one year of its implementation utilising this amount, the happy seeder/zero tillage technology was adopted in 8 lakh hectares of land in the north- western States of India.
During 2019-20, funds amounting to `273.80 crores, `192.06 crores and `105.29 crores have also been released so far to the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. With this financial assistance, 29,488 machines have been acquired. From these 10379 machines were directly given to farmers and 19109 machines were given to Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs).