Biomass burning, including seasonal burning of crop residue in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, continues to contribute to 20% of annual average particulate matter in the urban air of the region, read an estimates by the government.
While banning crop burning appears to be the straightforward solution, it is far from being easily implementable, said experts, while noting that cheap and easily available technology should be made accessible to farmers to prevent the situation.
“Burning crop residue is the easiest option for farmers. Since it gets done in a very short span of time and in large quantities, there is public debate over the fact that it contributes to poor quality of Delhi’s air during winter. However, public discussion tends to rapidly taper off, even as air quality remains consistently bad,’’ said M.L. Jat, senior cropping systems agronomist.
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He was speaking at a discussion on “Crop Burning as Source of Air Pollution in NCR” on Friday.
‘Clearing the Air’
The topic is part of a seminar series “Clearing the Air” put together by Initiative on Climate, Energy and Environment (ICEE) at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). The series is aimed at promoting sustained and informed public understanding about data, impacts, sources and policy challenges involved in clearing Delhi’s air. Also present at the discussion was Rajbir Yadav, principal scientist, division of genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
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Without cost-effective alternatives to harvest and dispose crop residue in time to sow for the next season, burning residue is still the most viable option for many farmers though it significantly worsens air quality, noted experts. The panel also explored the genesis of the problem, why it has become a particularly thorny issue over the last few years, and what are the possible technological interventions available.