POLLUTION IS A PANINDIA ISSUE
Civil society and governments must address behavioural barriers and information gaps that farmers face
Despite the much-touted favourable weather conditions, about a third of ‘non-attainment cities’ identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that consistently fall short of air quality standards are spread across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. However, an absence of up-to-date analysis and research has created a virtual black hole about air quality in other parts of India
In the Budget earlier this month, the government announced a special scheme, subsidising machinery that will improve farmers’ productivity and help end crop burning practices. During the winter, stubble residue burning in Punjab, Haryana and Western UP contributes about a quarter of Delhi’s air pollution.
The answer may lie in new technologies like the happy seeder one. Attached to a tractor and coupled with a spreader (called the Super-Straw Management System), it involves making a hole in the soil, dropping the seed for the next crop, dispersing the crop residue and depositing it as mulch—all in one smooth operation. This improves soil fertility and reduces the amount of water, fertiliser and herbicide required in the field. The potential water benefits are particularly important because of the continued decline in groundwater in many parts of Punjab and Haryana. There is evidence that this technology both increases farm yields and reduces input costs.
While the new budgetary initiative to support this will both reduce air pollution and promote long-term agriculture sustainability, the subsidy alone will not be enough to enable its adoption. Civil society actors, socially-ori- ented corporates and governments will need to partner to address behavioural barriers and information gaps that farmers face, and work concertedly to address other barriers.
Entrepreneurs and agriculture service providers who rent out agricultural equipment and services to farmers also need to be engaged. While the Central government has offered a 50% subsidy to individual farmers, bringing the happy seeder cost down to approximately Rs. 60,000 - 80,000, it is still too much for small farmers. An efficient option to encourage the use of such technology is through service providers who rent out various equipment to farmers. They can act as information hubs for farmers and be strong influencers. Therefore, building their knowledge about the importance of on-site residue management will be critical. One way to achieve this is by creating model business plans for service providers, coupled with training and financing packages that lay out annual and upfront costs.
It is important, now more than ever, that state governments enforce the National Green Tribunal-imposed residue burning ban. In the past, this ban was viewed as harsh and anti-farmer and, therefore, not uniformly imposed. However, with sizeable financial incentives becoming available to farmers, the state government’s intent to enforce the ban can act as a catalyst to encourage them to adopt no-burn agriculture.