Stubble Burning In India

What is stubble burning?

- Stubble burning refers to setting fire to leftover crop residues, particularly paddy stubble, after harvesting to clear fields quickly for the next cropping cycle.
- Widely practised in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, it contributes to seasonal air pollution in northern India.

Other names of Stubble burning:Jhum Cultivation /Slash and burn agriculture/Parali burning

Narrow Time Window: Farmers face a critical 15–20 day turn-around between rice harvest and wheat sowing. Delays in sowing directly lower wheat crop yields. Burning is the fastest and cheapest clearing method.
Cost & Capital Constraints: High capital costs associated with specialized Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery make procurement or hiring unaffordable for smallholders.
Low Alternative Value of Paddy Straw: High silica and lignin content in coarse paddy straw (e.g., non-basmati varieties) renders it unpalatable as cattle feed, reducing economic incentives to collect and sell it.

Severe Air Pollution: Emits massive volumes of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These combine in winter atmospheric conditions to form dense toxic smog across Northern India.
Soil Degradation: Destructive heat destroys key soil macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur) and depletes organic matter (humus).
Loss of Beneficial Micro-organisms: High heat penetration into upper soil layers kills beneficial earthworms, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and fungi, leading to soil compaction and increased erosion.

Legal & Monitoring Framework:
- Enforced under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
- The statutory Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) monitors and coordinates mitigation strategies across Delhi-NCR and adjoining states.
In-situ & Ex-situ Residue Management Schemes:
- Crop Residue Management (CRM) Scheme: Provides subsidized machinery like Happy Seeders, Smart Seeders, Super Seeders, and Paddy Straw Choppers.
- The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) extends subsidies (50% to individual farmers, 80% to Custom Hiring Centres).
- Promotion of bio-decomposers (e.g., PUSA Bio-Decomposer) for rapid in-situ microbial decomposition.
Financial Incentives: State initiatives (e.g., Haryana government providing ₹1,200 per acre to farmers who abstain from burning and adopt sustainable management).

Animal Feed Processing: Converting low-silica agricultural leftovers into enriched cattle feed pellets (widely utilized in Southern India).
Composting & Bio-Decomposers: Transforming crop residue into rich bio-fertilizers through vermicomposting or microbial sprays to replenish soil organic carbon.
Bioenergy & Biofuels: Utilizing paddy straw as a feedstock for Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG), 2G Bioethanol, and industrial bio-oil production.
Biomass Co-firing in Thermal Power Plants: Pelletizing crop residue to co-fire alongside coal in thermal power stations to generate electricity.
Paper, Packaging & Handicrafts: Utilizing straw fibers as raw material for paper mills, eco-friendly disposable packaging, and particle boards to reduce tree felling.

Sharp Incident Drop: Punjab recorded 5,114 farm fire incidents (a 53% drop over 2024 and 93% drop over 2021). Haryana recorded 662 incidents (a 53% drop over 2024 and 91% drop over 2021).
Financial & Infrastructure Footprint: Over ₹4,266 crore deployed cumulatively under the CRM Scheme, funding 3.54 lakh+ CRM machines and 43,500+ Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs).

Way Forward

Strengthen Custom Hiring Infrastructure: Scale up subsidized Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) at the Panchayat level to ensure timely, affordable access to machinery for smallholders.
Establish Ex-Situ Supply Chains: Provide transport subsidies and create localized storage hubs to connect farmers directly with power plants, CBG units, and paper mills.
Incentivize Crop Diversification: Encourage a phased shift from water-intensive, long-duration paddy to pulses, oilseeds, or short-duration rice varieties.
Direct Farmer Support: Expand direct cash transfers and per-acre financial rewards to compensate farmers for the additional operational costs of zero-burning practices.