By Dr. Gyan Pathak
As September begins, air quality in the National Capital Territory of Delhi starts deteriorating every year. As on September 13, 2023, it has already become unhealthy for sensitive groups, and tomorrow it is likely to turn unhealthy for all, with Air Quality Index (AQI) has been estimated to rise from 117 to 153. It would further deteriorate with beginning of stubble burning in Punjab, since the Centre has refused to share funds with Punjab for the scientific management of paddy stubble, and the state has not enough funds to implement the scheme on its own. It means, Delhi is heading towards a dangerously polluted winter, slugfest between the Centre led by BJP and the States of Delhi and Punjab led by AAP would start and the people would suffer as usual.
It should be noted that a WHO survey and a US-based Health Effects Institute survey of August 2022 had called the Delhi pollutions the worst among the cities of the World. Poor air quality in Delhi was said to irreversibly damaging lungs of 2.2 million or 50 per cent of all children. Refusal of the Centre to share funds with states like Punjab to handle the air quality unacceptable, since it shows that the Centre is not serious enough to resolve the issue of air pollution in the country that kill about 2 million people every year, and is the fifth largest killer in the country. WHO data reveals that India has the world’s highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma.
Air pollution in Delhi is directly linked in stubble burning in Punjab is a well-known fact, and both the Centre and Delhi governments knew it very well, since the issue is not new. In November 2019, even Supreme Court of India ahs said, “Delhi has become worse than hell”. AQI in Delhi generally remains bad throughout the year but it starts becoming worse from September every year, turns poor, severe, and hazardous during October to February. Several factors contribute to it including the stubble burning.
Earlier, the BJP led Centre was putting the entire blame on AAP led government for not taking appropriate actions to control the air pollution in Delhi. AAP government on the other had used to put blame on nearby states that they are allowing stubble burning in their states that impacted air quality in NCT Delhi, while the Centre was not helping Delhi government for politically malafide intentions. AAP leader Kejriwal even blamed the Congress ruled Punjab for not implementing scientific management of stubble and therefore farmers were burning their stubbles. However, in 2022, AAP won the Punjab elections and formed the ruling party there. Thus, AAP became responsible for both Delhi and Punjab lost any opportunity for putting blame on governments led by other political parties.
Last year, AAP leader Kejriwal has owned his party’s responsibility in stopping stubble burning in Punjab through scientific management of stubbles. AAP government devised a cash incentive scheme to farmers for scientific handling of stubbles. As per the planned scheme, farmers were to be given Rs 1500 per acre for the scientific management of paddy stubbles.
It meant huge amount of fund at a time when the State’s own finances are precarious. Since, it was not possible for Punjab to implement the scheme on its own, the government urged the Centre to share the financial burden which was refused. The issue was then brought up for discussion at the last cabinet meeting of the state government, which after deliberation shelved the scheme, chiefly on account of massive cost involved in providing funds to the farmers to encourage them for scientific management of their stubble rather than traditional burning.
As per the estimate of the Government of Punjab, the total amount required for the scheme would be over Rs 1100 crore. Moreover, the ministers participating in the cabinet meeting, were not sure about its proper implementation in regard to the number of farmers actually burning stubbles. The cabinet therefore resolved to ask the Department of Agriculture to rework the scheme. In the meantime, it was decided that the Punjab government rely on its in-situ stubble management, besides encouraging the ex-situ activities, once the paddy harvesting begins from October next month.
Since paddy crop is sown in 32 lakh hectare this year, the total quantity of stubble is expected to be about 22 million tonnes after harvesting. In 2022, about 49,900 incidents of stubble burning were reported. Cost of scientific disposal of stubble is still too high for farmers, and they are not in a position to afford the cost, on their own. They need cash incentives, which the Centre and the state government must workout as soon as possible, before the stubble burning starts within weeks.
In-situ scientific stubble management involve activities on the spot while in ex-situ management, stubbles are disposed of outside the crop field. Punjab government is also encouraging crop diversification for reducing the stubble burning. The government has claimed that their multi-pronged strategy would work, which is highly doubtful in absence of proper cash incentives to farmers.
Other issues are also involved, such as lack of functioning equipment available for scientific management of stubble, within a limited time available with farmers to sow other Rabi crops, such as wheat. Government of Punjab is pushing surface seeders for in-situ management, which is not acceptable for farmers since they have other equipment such as super seeders, happy seeders, straw mulchers, paddy straw coppers etc. Malfunctioning of available equipment is also a major issue that delay disposal of stubble. It is worth noting that the Centre has given Rs1370 crore to Punjab for subsidy on buying such equipment in between 2018 and 2022.
The surface seeder that the Government of Punjab is pushing for stubble management costs Rs 80,000. If a farmer purchases it, he could get it at subsidized rate of Rs 40,000. However, its cost for Agricultural Cooperative Societies is Rs 15,000.
Government of Haryana is giving Rs1,000 per acre as cash incentive to farmers to avoid stubble burning and for adopting scientific management of the stubbles. Centre must work out something for fund-starved Punjab too, so that an appropriate scheme for incentive to farmers could be in place to stop stubble burning and save NCT Delhi and surroundings from deadly air pollution. (IPA Service)
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