Some steps must be taken to stop burning of fields

Burning of paddy straw comes into picture every year this point of time. Every year people and media cry foul of this problem, but it evaporates from minds of people as fog disappear with rising sun.

We are in process to make world into gas chamber and have already made atmosphere a dumping dustbin to dump toxic green house gases.

As air pollution hits alarming levels in Delhi NCR, Haryana, Punjab and northern parts of country in general, there has been a surge in the number of patients complaining of respiratory problems. Roads accidents have been escalated due to near-zero-visibility and hyped in media once again to wake up authorities, governments and public from deep slumber of short memory. 
AIIMS chief, recently compared the situation to the killer 'Great Smog of London'. Irrespective of age each person has been feeling suffocated in this gas chamber. Situation can be compared not less than poison-gas attract during second World War.

How smog is differ from fog?

People in general  saying it is fog, and they never have been witnessed such thick fog and pollution. Fog is natural process and beneficial for agriculture, as it naturally irrigates the plants. With low temperature moisture freezes near ground level the same way clouds formed. But when smoke and toxic gases mix with water and freeze, natural process brings havoc in form of thick and poisonous smog. So, the beautiful process of nature of 'fog forming' has been turned out to be grave disaster. 

Many reasons including construction activities, transportation vehicles, agricultural residue (wheat and paddy straw primarily) burning, incineration of plastic and litter are some of main reasons for this problem. But straw burning is most prominent factor this point of time particularly. Further there are many reasons for the farmers to set-up their fields on fire every single season specifically in Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and in wheat-rice rotation belts of country, which have been covered extensively. Wheat-paddy rotation has fed the country in the hey-days of 'Green Revolution' which also is another controversy. But now this wheat-paddy and paddy specifically making huge damage to animal, human and environment/ecosystem. Poor and unchanged government policies, lack of social-capital generation and political will by government, failure at the part of universities and departments to evolve with time etc are some of the prime reasons that we have not been escaping from wheat-paddy rotation despite government and authorities wanting it badly.

Burning paddy neither brings benefits to farmers nor environment and animals. Farmers are economical and psychological forced to burn their fields. Over the periods farmers were never made to understand that burning not only costs environment but also costs their soil and natural resources' health badly, so farmers have been evolved over the years in such a manner. Farmer thinks simply burning means full job done. Burning also burns the huge diversity of micro-flora and fauna, fertilizers and heart of Mother Earth. Now agricultural community including scientist and economists, governments and judiciary forced to step-in and want quick-fixes, which are not available. To ameliorate this problem all we need integrated, multi-faceted approach, and most importantly will power to turn things real at ground.

Some steps to be taken to stop farmers burning biomass/straw of crops and protect environment

Payment for ecological services (PES)

Payments for ecosystem services(PES), also known as payments for environmental services (or benefits), are incentives offered to farmers or landowners in exchange for managing their land to provide some sort of ecological service. It is an economic instrument designed to provide incentives to increase the socio-economic positive externalities from agriculture.

Farmers must encourage not to burn their lands by providing some financial support. Those farmers who do not burn paddy straw must be rewarded because they help in conservation and preservation of environment  and also bringing many socio-economic positive externalities. Conservation and preservation always have remained integral part of many tribal and small natural farmers. This is not the new case PES has been used to protect environment in many countries in Latin America, Africa and other parts of globe. Also this has been used by government authorities in Himachal Pradesh to stop the forest fires by encouraging people to conserved nature and pristine forests under CAMPA. 

Punjab government every year spends 7000 crore to distribute free electricity as subsidy. Farmers have been free rided on such subsidies and brought many negative socio-economic and environmental externalities. So, judicious use of such subsidies could be taken as shape of PES to stop burning of paddy straw in Punjab, and other states.

Second PES as environment conservation instrument could also escape from the WTO's on-going trade distorting subsidies controversy and pressure over developing countries.  

Factor-in social externalities while minimum support price (MSP) calculation

MSP has remained great instrument to encourage farmers to shift their crop patterns, but this has not been used effectively to fulfill the need of orders. Moreover this has been used as an instrument to please the farmers and leverage vote-bank politics. 

MSP does not factor in the negative social and ecological externalities while calculating the prices. So, crops like paddy which are having numerous negative socio-economic and environmental externalities are provided with assured MSPs while crops like pulses, edible oils, sugercane etc which have great positive socio-economic, environmental have been neglected. Moreover crops like pulses and edible oils has huge significance in national context as we as a nation import 70,000 crore edible oil and 100,000 crore pulses every year. So, social and environmental externalities must be factored-in while MSP calculation. Inclusion of such factors would also motivate farmers to grow other crops including pulses, edible oil crops, sugercane etc. Such crops have ameliorating effect on soil, ground water, environmental and animal health. Governments collectively must need will power and not binge on vote-bank politics to stop things like paddy straw burning. Farmer literacy mission and motivation can encourage farmers to think another side of picture. 

Promotion of traditional basmati varieties under natural farming system

Prior to partition Punjab as whole sub-continent had been recognized for its aroma rich signature basmati traditional varieties. Such varieties have earned distinct recognition for its aroma, taste and quality. Moreover basmati varieties take half the water and have numerous positive externalities than normal rice. The straw/biomass residue is very easily decomposable and being used for fodder due to low silica content. During course of green revolution traditional basmati and rain-fed rice varieties have been eradicated by high-yielding short stature varieties which brought many negative socio-economic-political externalities and complication. 

Reviving of rain-fed rice varieties and traditional signature basmati under natural farming system coupled with PES, could be great boon to farmers. If see the things in context to recently 'Shanta Kumar's FCI restructured  committee (2014)' centre can pull her hand anytime for central procurement of rice, so we should need to promote high quality basmati and traditional rice varieties, and export successively. 
Niche Diversification of traditional basmati varieties should be promoted as basmati rice varieties develop distinct aroma, taste and quality region specifically. Moreover awareness among people about natural food, demand of heirloom-food and high quality checks for export should also propel such moves. Natural farming system involving in-situ decomposition, use of microorganism based consortium, augmenting in-situ micro flora and fauna biodiversity could help animal, soil and environmental health in great manner.

Co-operative societies based mechanization

Cost is the major issue which provokes farmers to set their farms up on the fires and applying for short-cuts. The machinery and implements required to manage the paddy straw is costly venture to farmers individually. Small and marginal farmers cannot afford high cost implements like happy seeder, mulchers or other implements individually. Moreover bank loan based purchasing of implements are also not viable for any farmer in long term in general. Governments must promote cooperatives and societies based use of machinery for the common benefits of farmers.

Promotion of auxiliary industries (2G bio-ethanol primarily)

Paddy as feed-stock needs to be promoted to generate second generation (2G) bio-ethanol under national EBP (ethanol blending programme) to achieve 10 percent blending of bio-ethanol in petrol. Besides reducing pollution and ameliorating soil health this programme has huge spin-off socio-economic benefits in terms of increase in farmers' remuneration, employment generation, rural skill development etc. 

"Punjab burns around 50 lakh tonnes of paddy and wheat straw every year and by converting it into a fuel blend, we can slowly end up oil dependency on other countries. It is expected to provide an additional income source of Rs 4,000 crore annually to farmers The could also help in end the dependency of the nation for fuel on Gulf and central Asian countries with clean fuel. 

Governments have already been signed the MoU with industries and laid foundation stone of 2G bio-ethanol refinery, which must need to be scaled-up to production level as soon as possible.
Rice straw and other crop residue could also be promoted for geo-textiles, paper pulp industries and ply wood industries.

These are some above mentioned steps which must be taken into account to stop farmers burn their fields, and save animal, soil, water and environment health. All the authorities and governments have to simply require is integrated and multifaceted approach, and will power to rise above vote-bank politics. 

(Views of author are personal and written in personal capacity)