CASE STUDY

“Stubble Burning”

MAY 4, 2023
ENACTUS KIIT AND KISS
Contents

.............................................................................................................................................................1

 Introduction:..................................................................................................................................2

 Background Information:...............................................................................................................2

 Problem Statement.........................................................................................................................4

 Objectives:.....................................................................................................................................5

 Methodology:................................................................................................................................5

 Results:..........................................................................................................................................7

 Recommendations:........................................................................................................................9

 Bottom line:.................................................................................................................................10

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 Introduction:

The process of burning the straw that remains after harvesting grains like

rice, wheat etc. is known as stubble burning. From the last week of

September to November, which coincides with the retreat of the

southwest monsoon, stubble

burning (parali) removes the

residue of rice crops from the field

in preparation for wheat sowing. In

addition to solid particles (PM10

and PM2.5), it is a significant

source of gaseous pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon

monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and

methane (CH4), which harm both human health and the environment.

India's predicament is particularly dire because of its extensive rice-wheat

crop rotation system, which produces a lot of stubble.

This is usually necessary in areas where agricultural residues remain after

combined harvesting. It occurs frequently in northwest India in October

and November, but mostly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

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 Background Information:

Every winter, the capital city of Delhi and its surrounding suburbs face a
haze of pollution. Delhi, about 250 kilometres away, may also be affected
by the smoke, which will worsen the dangerous cloud already in the
capital. It is not just Delhi that is in trouble. Large areas of northern India
are polluted by stubble-burning gases, endangering the health of hundreds
of millions of people.
As COVID-19 sweeps across the
country, it's even more risky this year
as pollution makes individuals more
susceptible to illness and hinders their
recovery. Some estimates state that
farmers in northern India burn about
23 million metric tons of stubble annually.
Governments have tried to end this practice. They've suggested
alternatives, outlawed it, punished farmers who continue to use it, and
even jailed a handful of them. They also tried to encourage good
behaviour. In 2019, the Supreme Court ordered several northern states to
pay each farmer who did not burn stubble 2,400 rupees ($32; £24) per
acre.
However, the farmers who eagerly awaited the rewards did not receive
them. Later, the Punjab government admitted the truth that it could not
afford to pay so many farmers. Experts say policies that push farmers to
grow more rather than less are partly to blame. Stubble management and
mechanical harvesting
Most farmers are forced to burn stubble because the cost of fertilizer is
too high — roughly Rs 4,000 per acre.

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  Problem Statement

The fact that farmers form a significant electoral bloc complicates the
situation. For this reason, court orders imposing harsh penalties and
restrictions are often not enforced. According to agricultural economist
Avinash Kishore, "Politicians who need to
enforce this would have to risk antagonizing
thousands of farmers, which they won't do."
Meanwhile, farmers continue to take
advantage of free energy and substantial
rice fertilizer subsidies.
The environment also has an influence.
Twice a year, at the beginning of summer
and the beginning of winter, farmers burn
stubble. The first time they do it, a warm
breeze quickly dispels it. However, the
second time, in September or October, the
smoke was widely dispersed by low wind speeds and freezing
temperatures.
1. The government has offered an alternative technology, but even that has
its drawbacks. Consider the Happy Seeder, a tractor-mounted device that
simultaneously sows wheat for the next crop while removing paddy
straw. It has been praised for being fast, efficient and green. Depending
on whether it was a single farmer or a group of farmers, the government
paid somewhere between 50 and 80 per cent of the cost. it can go as high
as $15,000 (£11,229). A bio-decomposer developed by the Indian

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 Agricultural Research Institute, which could also be a game-changer,
turns crop residues into manure in 15 to 20 days. However, some farmers
say the difference between the crops is not that big.

2. Burning husks on the ground depletes nutrients from the soil, reducing
its fertility.

3. The heat generated by stubble burning permeates the soil and causes loss
of moisture and beneficial bacteria.
Therefore, all of these factors raise the fundamental query:
Does India require another agricultural revolution?

 Objectives:

To determine the social, economic and cultural aspects that influence

stubble burning and to propose sustainable methods and techniques that
could help reduce or eliminate the need for stubble burning and promote
sustainable agriculture.

 Methodology:

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The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reports that
between 2021 and 2022, the number of fires caused by stubble burning in
Delhi and NCR
(National Capital Residue Burning Events
Region) decreased by
31.5%. 21335

In Punjab, Haryana 33246

15575
35000 23569
and Uttar Pradesh, 30000 12878 2634
850
25000 4036
1404 2020
stubble burning has 20000
5892
3730 2100
15000 2019
6478 2851
decreased by 30%, 10000 3339
2018
5000 2017
47.60% and 21.435% 0 2016
Punjab Haryana Uttar
in 2022 compared to Pradesh

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

2021. Fire numbers
are calculated based on data from NASA (National Aeronautics and
Space Administration) satellites.
Both in-situ and ex-situ management strategies were adopted by state
governments and a special campaign was launched to recognize farmers
who avoided stubble burning.

In-situ stubble treatment: For illustration, crop residue management using

zero cultivators and application of bio-decomposers (such as Pusa bio-
decomposer)
Off-site or ex-situ Use rice straw as cow feed, for example as a treatment.
In-situ management was used to manage about 10 million metric tons of
straw, which is 25% more than the previous year in Punjab.
Similarly, 1.8 million metric tons of straw—up more than 33% from the
year before—were processed using the ex-situ approach.
The Punjab government along with the federal government has drawn up
an action plan to focus on the ongoing problem over the next three years.

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 Most of the stubble burning is from crops other than paddy fields, so the
government has to fund it. Farmers in the area should be encouraged to
grow more fruit and vegetables through government policy and financial
incentives. In India, more vitamins and proteins are needed than wheat
and rice. Since vegetable and fruit crops do not leave scabs, this will
increase the number of greenery and reduce the number of open fires.
After harvesting and threshing, the rice residue can be used as animal
feed, which turns it into milk, animal power or cow dung. A part can be
used as bedding for animals in winter.

 Results:

 The starting point:

Stubble can be recycled to create goods such as cardboard and paper.

 Manure production:

It can also be used as manure. For example, the Nandi Foundation bought 800
MT of rice residue from farmers in Palla village outside Delhi and converted it
into fertilizer.

 Manufacture of biofuel:

Recent progress has been made in the use of agricultural slag for the production
of biofuels. It is a sensible alternative for managing agricultural stubble, as it
directly prevents the release of harmful pollutants from stubble burning and
indirectly reduces fossil fuel energy consumption, both of which contribute to
cleaner air and a greener environment.

 Use in land management:

One of the best techniques for managing agricultural stubble is to incorporate it

into the soil. It improves soil fertility and helps maintain the amount of organic

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matter in the soil. It has been argued that adding straw to the soil increases the
amount of nutrients present (which would otherwise be burned) and increases
soil production.

 Composting

During the composting process, a nutrient-rich material called compost is

created. It includes nitrogen (2%), phosphorus (1.5%) and potassium (1.4-
1.6%). Compost made from agricultural waste is rich in nutrients and increases
soil productivity. As a result, crop production could increase by around 4-9%.

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 production of biochar

By subjecting the biomass to a thermochemical conversion process with limited

oxygen at 350-700°C, biochar, a finely ground, carbon-rich porous material, can
be created.

 Energy production:

Energy can be efficiently produced from agricultural waste by incineration,

gasification or methanation.

 Added uses:

Researchers have proposed other alternatives, including using stubble as

feedstock for ethanol refineries, as livestock feed for mushroom cultivation, or
as fuel for gasification in boilers.

Bio lubricant production, nano-silica formation, and pulp and paper production
are other methods that can help offset the effects of stubble burning and provide
an alternative (Zhang et al., 2017). Nano-silica can also be used to make solar
cells, nanomedicine, cosmetics and other products.

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Crop stubble can be used to produce various types of concrete and bricks,

making its use in construction another viable option.

 Recommendations:

 A comprehensive information campaign is needed to educate farmers about

the financial and environmental benefits of using alternative stubble
management methods. According to a survey by Kumar et al. (2015), 90% of
farmers are aware of the negative consequences of burning stubble on their
health but still burn it. This may be a result of labour shortages, lack of
government incentives, or even farmers' ignorance of more affordable and
environmentally friendly options.
 In addition, the government should mandate the use of stubble as part of raw
materials in the pulp and paper, construction, biomass and energy industries.
This will encourage the farmers as selling the stubble would mean extra
money for them.
 Detailed and complete models are required for more accurate and credible
simulations of air pollution.
 Additionally, as most stations are located in urban areas, most rural areas
(where stubble burning occurs) have not been assessed, necessitating the
expansion of NAMP. Due to the lack of high-quality health services,
exposure to high levels of pollution in these places can be fatal.
 •Government organizations should use effective enforcement and follow-up
to ensure intended compliance. Farmers who adopt sustainable management
practices at all levels should also receive incentives.
 • Government organizations should use effective enforcement and follow-up
to ensure intended compliance. Farmers who adopt sustainable management
practices at all levels should also receive incentives.

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  Bottom line:

The extensive rice-wheat crop rotation technique used in India has created huge
amounts of stubble, often more than the number of grains harvested. To prepare
the farm for the next planting, large amounts of this stubble are often burned in
the field, releasing dangerous chemicals into the environment and degrading air
quality. Based on the available data, it can be concluded that the severity of air
quality, especially during rice stubble-burning episodes in North Indian cities, is
due to a combination of stubble-burning emissions and climatic conditions.

The health of residents exposed to pollutants from burning stubble is at serious

risk as it has been linked to several health problems, including death in some
extreme cases. Instead of burning, stubble can be used to create environmentally
friendly and economically beneficial products such as compost or biochar. They
can also be used as biomass for biofuel production, as fuel in power plants, etc.
Most of the farmers in North India are unaware of these numerous options and
believe that burning is the best option.

Incineration practices are still practised in most of northern India despite strict
laws and regulations prohibiting them at the federal and state levels of
government in India. Under these regulations, effective monitoring and
continuous ongoing monitoring are always required.

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