{"id":110473,"date":"2021-06-03T18:51:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T13:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?page_id=110473"},"modified":"2021-06-03T18:51:41","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T13:21:41","slug":"how-green-revolution-has-contributed-to-an-increase-in-air-pollution-over-northern-india","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/how-green-revolution-has-contributed-to-an-increase-in-air-pollution-over-northern-india\/","title":{"rendered":"How Green Revolution has contributed to an increase in air pollution over northern India?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/h5>\n

Introduction<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

In winters, every year\u00a0air\u00a0pollution level in the\u00a0Delhi\u00a0reaches to an alarming level, turning it into a \u2018gas chamber\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0Burning of crop residues i.e., stubble burning in states of Punjab & Haryana, has\u00a0been cited as a main reason\u00a0behind\u00a0it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whereas the main reason behind\u00a0stubble\u00a0burning\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0Preservation of Subsoil Water Acts\u00a0passed by Punjab & Haryana in\u00a02009.\u00a0However, root of this whole menace lies in the green revolution. So, let\u2019s understand how green revolution has increased the\u00a0problem of\u00a0air pollution in India.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Changes Introduced by Green Revolution<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Green Revolution\u00a0of\u00a01960s and 1970s\u00a0made India self-sufficient in\u00a0food grain production.\u00a0Government provided several\u00a0policy incentives\u00a0to farmers, like:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Price support for crops<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • High-yielding seeds<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Expanded irrigation<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Increased use of fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides in order to reduce agricultural loses<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Introduction of combine harvesters\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    However,\u00a0these changes were\u00a0accompanied by\u00a0a\u00a0huge ecological cost.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Negative impacts of green revolution\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Establishment of a rice-wheat monoculture: <\/span><\/b>Due to\u00a0policy\u00a0incentives\u00a0from government, farmers were able to sow high-yielding &\u00a0<\/span>water-intensive\u00a0<\/span><\/b>crops, like rice & wheat. (T<\/em><\/span>o produce a kg of rice 2,800 ltrs of water is required, while a kilogram of wheat takes 1,654 ltrs on average.)<\/em> This\u00a0established a Rice-Wheat-Cropping-System (RWCS) in these areas, which was not suitable.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Rapid Depletion of groundwater resources<\/span><\/b>: <\/span>Fields\u00a0now\u00a0remained\u00a0under cultivation for almost 10 months a year\u00a0causing\u00a0an\u00a0over-exploitation of groundwater.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Crop Residue<\/span><\/b>: <\/span>Usage of combine harvesters left a sharper and taller crop residue in the fields post-harvest. This straw was potentially injurious to farmers, unsuitable as an animal fodder and got stuck in the machines used for planting the next crop. Further, this type of straw was difficult to remove manually. Hence, burning afforded the quickest alternative. This led to an increase in stubble (crop residue) burning cases.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Thus, Green revolution\u00a0had few unintended consequences\u00a0in northern India, like\u00a0increased exploitation of groundwater\u00a0<\/span>(water intensive crops),\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>air pollution\u00a0<\/span>(increased stubble burning)<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0and establishment of a monoculture\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      To\u00a0arrest\u00a0this\u00a0drastic fall\u00a0in\u00a0groundwater, Punjab & Haryana government passed Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water\u00a0(PPSW)\u00a0Act\u00a0and the Haryana Preservation of Subsoil Water\u00a0(HPSW)\u00a0Act respectively in 2009.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      What are the Preservation of Subsoil Water Act passed by Haryana & Punjab in 2009?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Acts\u00a0mandated\u00a0delaying the transplanting of paddy beyond June 10, when the most severe phase of evapotranspiration<\/span>\u00a0(transfer of water from land to the atmosphere through evaporation from the soil and plant transpiration)<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is over.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • As per PPSW\u00a0<\/span><\/b>–\u00a0Farmers were forbidden from sowing paddy before\u00a010<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0May, and transplanting it before\u00a010<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0June.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      • As per HPSW<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Farmers were forbidden to sow paddy before 15<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0May and\u00a0transplanting it before\u00a015<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0June.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Situation before\u00a0Acts were passed<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

        Before the acts, nursery-raising happened in\u00a0<\/span>April last week\u00a0<\/span><\/b>and transplanting by\u00a0<\/span>mid-May<\/span><\/b>, to enable harvesting from October and timely planting of the next wheat crop. But being peak summer time, it\u00a0resulted in a\u00a0<\/span>very high-water requirement.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Negative impact of the\u00a0Acts<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n