Why Punjab Continues to Burn Paddy Stubble: Challenges and Success Stories from the Majha Region

Smoggy skies in Delhi have once again put the spotlight on the issue of #stubbleburning in Punjab. But what has changed since the past year, when post-Kharif farm fires were at a 5-year high? We examine the on-ground situation in Amritsar & Tarn Taran👇

Why does stubble burning persist? Our interactions with officials & farmers reveal:

• crop mix in the region has remained the same
• there's limited use of available crop residue management (CRM) machines
• cost of procuring & operating in-situ CRM machines remains high

However, we encountered effective small-scale solutions, including:

• a paper mill that can consume upto 1,500 metric tonnes of paddy residue
• the local herder community's use of paddy residue for fodder 

But these ex-situ solutions have limited impact due to their small scale of operation. While in-situ and ex-situ CRM options present short & medium-term solutions, some farmers also started cultivating alternate crops to break away from the paddy-wheat monoculture.

Has crop diversification affected stubble burning?

• Punjab’s announcement of procuring summer moong could reduce reliance on paddy. However, much of the moong was not procured by the government agencies.
• Horticulture farmers also feel a lack of policy support.

Despite the challenges, local successes are providing inspiration! Gurbachan Singh from a village in Tarn Taran uses environment friendly short-duration varieties of paddy & Happy Seeder for crop residue management.

He has also persuaded 40 farmers to stop stubble burning!

Read more in our new blog, "Why Punjab Continues to Burn Paddy Stubble: Challenges and Success Stories from the Majha region" by Srish Prakash and Ramandeep Singh .

🔗https://www.ceew.in/blogs/how-punjab-farmers-are-curbing-paddy-stubble-burning