{"id":34319,"date":"2018-10-30T16:57:05","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T11:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=34319"},"modified":"2018-10-30T16:57:05","modified_gmt":"2018-10-30T11:27:05","slug":"the-flaming-fields-of-punjab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-flaming-fields-of-punjab\/","title":{"rendered":"The flaming fields of Punjab:\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/todays-paper\/tp-opinion\/the-flaming-fields-of-punjab\/article19935665.ece\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The flaming fields of Punjab<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Context:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is crop residue?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crop residue or commonly known as agricultural waste, is increasingly being viewed as a valuable resource. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corn stalks, corn cobs, wheat straw and other leftovers from grain production are now being viewed as a <\/span><b>resource with economic value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crop residue is seen to be a co-product of grain production where <\/span><b>both the grain and the residue have significant value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crop residues represent <\/span><b>substantial global stores of fiber, energy, and plant nutrients<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are the uses of crop residue?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crop have been an important source of household fuel and building material in many low-income countries;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provided indispensable bedding and feed for animals, particularly ruminants, of all continents;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offered an excellent substrate for cultivation of mushrooms;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">been used for making paper; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">been tapped as sources for extracting organic compounds.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is the reason behind burning crop residue?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Residue burning gives fields to farmers that are easier to seed and less pest infested.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burning residue gives the farmers a seedbed that is easy to work and will not obstruct the growth of a new crop.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are the adverse effects of crop residue?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most importantly, it gives way to a <\/span><b>significant amount of air pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent data says that concentration of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide rises by 7% and 2.1%,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Weakens the local capacity of the agroecosystem services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ranging from protection of soils against erosion to recycling of nitrogen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erosion thus leads to <\/span><b>loss of necessary nutrition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the soil.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It raises <\/span><b>health issues such as acute respiratory problems and heart problems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is the order by National Green Tribunal (NGT)?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In its order, the tribunal also fixed a penalty for burning paddy residue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NGT also ordered State governments to take strict action against persistent offenders.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Other government measure taken:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are the measures to be taken?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a need of <\/span><b>stronger monitoring and enforcement mechanism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the use of remote sensing technology and use of real-time satellite imagery.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There should be <\/span><b>strict village-level enforcement teams<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the aim of zero incidence rate of crop residue burning, through prevention and penalisation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most importantly, <\/span><b>farmers need to understand that<\/b> <b>this practice will only damage their soil and farm<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the long run and will result in loss of agriculture.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishment of a <\/span><b>larger number of biomass-based power projects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> utilising greater amounts of paddy straw is needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Effective and greater scope of subsidy provision<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so that agricultural implements can be made widely available.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Creation of a market for paddy straw<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, along with a mechanism for commercial procurement of paddy straw for use in biomass-based power projects.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Functions:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It serves as a <\/span><b>field formation and provides technical services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the Ministry of Environment and Forests.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>Co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is <\/span><b>responsible for maintaining national standards under a variety of environmental laws,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in consultation with zonal offices, tribal, and local governments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has <\/span><b>responsibilities to conduct monitoring of water and air quality, and maintains monitoring data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CPCB is <\/span><b>responsible for implementation of legislation relating to prevention and control of environmental pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>State Pollution Control Boards:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are State Pollution Control Boards at various state capitals of the country to advise respective state governments to control and protect environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Functions:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All SPCBs <\/span><b>look after the interest of the respective states <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where they function.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is also<\/span><b> responsible for implementation of legislation relating to prevention and control of environmental pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They <\/span><b>implement the directives from CPCB and all Acts <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which are enacted from time to time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The various <\/span><b>provisions present in Water Act, Air Act and Environmental Protection Act are carried out by the industries and factories<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the state with the supervision of SPCB.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The flaming fields of Punjab:\u00a0 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,&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-flaming-fields-of-punjab\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The flaming fields of Punjab:\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-test-1","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704884825},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}