Issues of paddy stubble burning in Haryana: current perspective

Regardless of being useful in many ways, at the moment paddy stubble has turned out to be a nuisance in northwestern India, especially Haryana. Therefore, this study tried to access the scale of stubble burning, discover underlying causes, the existing condition of different in situ as well as ex situ utilization and management practices. Charting reasons for lower adoption of management techniques, mapping stubble trade and eventually look for the solution from the perspective of all the participants. Findings of the study revealed that despite underestimation of burning area and recorded minor decline, the area burnt over the last 5 years still covered a quarter of the total cultivated space. Majority (> eighty percent) of the paddy fields that were harvested mechanically underwent stubble burning regardless of the variety cultivated or size of the farm. This problem originated primarily due to: (i) Falling groundwater leading to enactment of preservation law, which reduced the time window for sowing wheat crop after harvesting paddy; (ii) Shrinking supply of agricultural labor coupled with their increased harvesting charges made combine harvesting comparatively more cost-effective; and (iii) Inherent limitations of the prevailing combine harvesting technology, etc. Obligated by these factors, the majority of the respondents opt to in situ stubble burning. Even though small in scale, the mapped contemporary marketing chain might be useful for businesses. The institutional solution tackled this problem from a single side only, i.e., in situ management. Whereas, farmers and experts voiced for the need for a mix of management options to be put at their disposal.

Automated summary

Despite being underestimated, the study found that stubble burning still covered a significant portion of cultivated space, with most mechanically harvested paddy fields undergoing this practice. The primary causes of this issue include falling groundwater levels leading to preservation laws, a shortage of agricultural labor, and limitations of combine harvesting technology.