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Stubble burning menace emerges in Kuttanad
- Stubble burning i.e. agricultural residue burning has emerged as a major problem in Kuttanad, which is popularly known as the “Rice bowl of Kerala”.
- Stubble burning is the practice of intentionally setting fire to residues which remains after the harvest of a crop. It is usually done to clear the field quickly for the next season and to burn off weeds and other pests.
- Stubble burning is pan-Indian problem. However, it is most acute in Punjab and Haryana and contributes significantly to air pollution in Delhi-NCR region. The burning of stubble releases toxic gases and pose serious health hazard to farmers.
- Kuttanad is around broad wetland zone situated around the Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam Districts of Kerala. Farmers of Kuttanad are famous for Bio saline Farming (growing crops in saline environment). Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared the Kuttanad Farming System as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Kuttanad Farming system is the only system in India that practices rice cultivation below sea level
- Globally Important Agricultural Heritage systems (GIAHS), started in 2002, is an initiative by FAO which seeks to safeguard and support the world’s agri-cultural heritage systems. These traditional agricultural systems represent models of sustainable agricultural production
