Stubble Burning: Causes, Impacts and Solutions

Why in News?

The recurring issue of stubble burning in North India, particularly Punjab and Haryana, has renewed concerns over deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR. It highlights the need to address economic, technological and policy factors driving the practice.

What is Stubble Burning?

Stubble burning is the practice of setting fire to leftover crop residues, especially straw and stalks, after harvesting paddy and wheat. It is commonly practised to clear paddy residues before wheat sowing, typically between October and November. It is prevalent in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Reasons for Stubble Burning

MSP-driven rice-wheat cropping cycle: Assured procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and subsidised electricity encourage intensive rice-wheat cultivation and generate large paddy residue.
Narrow sowing window: The Punjab Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act, 2009 restricts early paddy sowing to conserve groundwater, shifting harvesting to late October–early November. Farmers get only a 10–15-day window before wheat sowing.
Long-duration paddy varieties: Varieties like PUSA-44 mature in 150–160 days, intensifying pressure.
Mechanised harvesting: Combine harvesters leave substantial standing stubble and loose straw.
Cost-effectiveness: Burning is cheaper and faster than residue incorporation or using balers and shredders.
Weed management: Burning temporarily destroys surface weeds, weed seeds and some pests.
Limited residue management options: Inadequate affordable machinery, infrastructure and alternatives like composting and bioenergy.

Impacts

Air pollution: Releases PM10, PM2.5, NOx, methane, carbon monoxide and VOCs, contributing to smog and respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and COPD.
Greenhouse gas emissions: Contributes to global warming and climate change.
Soil fertility loss: Destroys soil organic matter and nutrients like nitrogen and sulphur, damages beneficial microorganisms and reduces surface soil moisture.

Challenges in Controlling Stubble Burning

Technology and infrastructure gaps: Specialised CRM machinery shortages, delays at Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), high silica content in paddy straw and inadequate biomass collection, storage and transport infrastructure.
Economic and funding limitations: High machinery costs and rentals, absence of assured remunerative prices for paddy straw, and high collection/transport costs.
Crop diversification challenges: MSP-backed procurement and subsidised electricity discourage shifting away from rice-wheat.
Policy and enforcement challenges: Inconsistent enforcement and over-reliance on penalties without adequate incentives.
Monitoring gaps: Satellite-based fire monitoring using MODIS and VIIRS has limited observation windows and may miss fires outside overpass times.
Limited awareness and training: Inadequate practical training and technical guidance on in-situ and ex-situ residue management.

India's Initiatives

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Framework

In-situ CRM: Managing residues within fields using CRM machinery, CHCs and bio-decomposers.
Ex-situ utilisation: Biomass power generation, co-firing in thermal plants, 2G ethanol, compressed biogas and packaging materials.
Ban and enforcement: Prohibition through satellite monitoring, field inspections and environmental compensation.
Financial support: CRM Scheme since 2018–19 provides 50% assistance to individual farmers and 80% for eligible CHC projects.
Technological interventions: Happy Seeder, Pusa Decomposer, pelletisation and biochar production.
Crop diversification: Short-duration paddy, Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) and less water-intensive crops.

Local Initiatives

Haryana: Incentives under Mera Pani-Meri Virasat in 2026–27: ₹1,200 per acre for CRM, ₹4,500 per acre for DSR and ₹8,000 per acre for alternative crops.
Punjab: Mobile applications like i-Khet and Cooperative Machinery Tracker for accessing CRM machinery.
Chhattisgarh: Gauthans convert agricultural residues and cattle dung into organic manure.
Improved satellite monitoring: Integrating polar-orbiting satellites (MODIS and VIIRS) with geostationary observations.

Strategies to Curb Stubble Burning

Policy and legal reforms: Establish a minimum remunerative price for paddy straw covering collection, transport and associated costs. Use a balanced approach of incentives, awareness and proportionate enforcement.
Crop diversification and procurement reforms: Reform MSP-backed procurement to encourage pulses, oilseeds and millets; promote short-duration paddy and DSR.
Infrastructure and logistics: Real-time crop mapping, harvest forecasting, decentralised biomass collection, temporary storage, local aggregators and transport networks; strengthen CHCs.
Innovative farming technologies: Pusa Decomposer (decomposes stubble in about 20–25 days), Happy Seeders and Super Seeders; mulching and soil incorporation; ex-situ uses like fodder, manure, paper, packaging, biofuels and power.
Economic incentives and market development: Assured markets and remunerative benchmark prices for crop residues; performance-based incentives for residue management and diversification.
Community-based post-harvest management: MGNREGA-like labour support, farmer cooperatives, village-level collection centres; involve Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Improved monitoring and accountability: Integrate polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites; use burned-area assessments, ground verification and transparent reporting.

Conclusion

Curbing stubble burning requires a holistic approach combining crop diversification, affordable residue management technologies, assured economic incentives and effective policy enforcement. Strengthening farmer participation, biomass markets and satellite-based monitoring can transform crop residue from an environmental burden into an economic resource, ensuring sustainable agriculture, improved air quality and long-term environmental security.