The flaming fields of Punjab: 

The flaming fields of Punjab: 

Context:

• Despite the 2015 ban on crop burning, farmers in the State continue to set fire to paddy residue to make way for the next crop.

What is crop residue?

• Crop residue or commonly known as agricultural waste, is increasingly being viewed as a valuable resource.
• Corn stalks, corn cobs, wheat straw and other leftovers from grain production are now being viewed as a resource with economic value.
• Crop residue is seen to be a co-product of grain production where both the grain and the residue have significant value.
• Crop residues represent substantial global stores of fiber, energy, and plant nutrients.

What are the uses of crop residue?

• Crop have been an important source of household fuel and building material in many low-income countries;
• provided indispensable bedding and feed for animals, particularly ruminants, of all continents;
• Offered an excellent substrate for cultivation of mushrooms;
• been used for making paper; and
• been tapped as sources for extracting organic compounds.

What is the reason behind burning crop residue?

• Residue burning gives fields to farmers that are easier to seed and less pest infested.
• Burning residue gives the farmers a seedbed that is easy to work and will not obstruct the growth of a new crop.

What are the adverse effects of crop residue?

• Most importantly, it gives way to a significant amount of air pollution.
• Recent data says that concentration of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide rises by 7% and 2.1%,
• Weakens the local capacity of the agroecosystem services, ranging from protection of soils against erosion to recycling of nitrogen.
• Erosion thus leads to loss of necessary nutrition of the soil.
• It raises health issues such as acute respiratory problems and heart problems.

What is the order by National Green Tribunal (NGT)?

• In 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned the burning of paddy straw in four States i.e. in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
• In its order, the tribunal also fixed a penalty for burning paddy residue.
• The NGT also ordered State governments to take strict action against persistent offenders.
• It also directed the four States and Delhi to make arrangements to provide machinery free of cost to farmers with less than two acres of land, Rs. 5,000 to farmers with medium-sized land holdings, and Rs. 15,000 to those with large land holdings for residue management.

Other government measure taken:

• The government has said that through the ministry of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare, it had drawn the National Policy for Management of Crop Residues 2014, which envisaged the adoption of technical measures, including diversified uses of crop residue, capacity building and training along with the formulation of suitable legislation.
• The policy also envisaged satellite-based remote sensing technologies to monitor crop residue management, with active involvement from the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

What are the measures to be taken?

• There is a need of stronger monitoring and enforcement mechanism through the use of remote sensing technology and use of real-time satellite imagery.
• There should be strict village-level enforcement teams with the aim of zero incidence rate of crop residue burning, through prevention and penalisation.
• Most importantly, farmers need to understand that this practice will only damage their soil and farm in the long run and will result in loss of agriculture.
• Establishment of a larger number of biomass-based power projects utilising greater amounts of paddy straw is needed.
• Effective and greater scope of subsidy provision, so that agricultural implements can be made widely available.
• Creation of a market for paddy straw, along with a mechanism for commercial procurement of paddy straw for use in biomass-based power projects.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Functions:

• It serves as a field formation and provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• It Co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them.
• It is responsible for maintaining national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with zonal offices, tribal, and local governments.
• It has responsibilities to conduct monitoring of water and air quality, and maintains monitoring data.
• CPCB is responsible for implementation of legislation relating to prevention and control of environmental pollution.

State Pollution Control Boards:

• There are State Pollution Control Boards at various state capitals of the country to advise respective state governments to control and protect environment.

Functions:

• All SPCBs look after the interest of the respective states where they function.
• It is also responsible for implementation of legislation relating to prevention and control of environmental pollution.
• They implement the directives from CPCB and all Acts which are enacted from time to time.
• The various provisions present in Water Act, Air Act and Environmental Protection Act are carried out by the industries and factories in the state with the supervision of SPCB.