Harpal Singh, 45, from Mohali is among thousands of small farmers who have no choice but to burn the paddy straws in his fields to clear them for the next crop.
“Neither have we seen any machine in our village nor have we been given any money by the government to dispose the paddy stubble. What do we do? We have no choice but to burn the residue. We will stop burning them once we are provided a machine by the government,” says Harpal.
Harpal Singh. (Photo: India Today)
Satellite images from NASA show early stubble burning in parts of Punjab, an annual winter practice that plunges Delhi into smog and severe air pollution.
However, unlike other years, there’s a peculiar problem this time. Stubble burning leads to various respiratory ailments, and combined with the Covid-19 spread, may aggravate the situation in these parts.
But like Harpal, there are thousands of farmers in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan who own small holdings and have meagre income. Most of them can barely afford a tractor, and those who have one, cannot spend more on buying a machine.
“Burning the paddy stubble is the last resort to clear the fields. Give us a machine or money and we’ll stop burning them,” says Harpal.
Another farmer named Darbar Singh says rising diesel costs have made it impossible to use the machines. If the straws are not burnt, one has to plough the field a number of times. The presence of residue in the fields results in pest attacks and poor crop growth.
“The smoke produced by burning paddy straws is unhealthy and it is the villagers who first suffer from breathing trouble. We do not want to burn the residue but we’re helpless. No help is coming from the government,” says Darbar.
Jagtar Singh (55) and Charan Singh (82), both residents of Karala in Mohali, also dispute the claims made by the state government about distribution of machines and availability of subsidised machines.
“The government is asking us to spend an additional Rs 2,000-3,000 per acre to clear the fields. Diesel of Rs 50-60 per litre is required to run a machine on an acre. Who will pay all this money?” asks Jagtar.
Jagtar Singh (55) and Charan Singh (82). (Photo: India Today)
Black clouds loom large
Despite claims made by the Punjab government that it provided 50,185 machines last year to manage farm residue and created 7,738 custom hiring centres (CHCs) enabling farmers to hire stubble management machines, the state burnt nearly half its farm waste.
According to an estimate, Punjab produced nearly 20 million tonnes of paddy residue of which 9.8 million was consigned to flames. The neighbouring Haryana government too accepted that its farmers set ablaze 1.23 million tonnes of paddy straws.
The Covid challenge
With farmers adamant on burning the stubble this year too, health experts fear it will further aggravate the pandemic situation. As of September 23, Punjab is about to cross the one lakh-mark in Covid-19 cases with 2,860 deaths, while Haryana has registered around 1,13,000 cases with 1,117 fatalities.
Most people who lost their lives to the virus here had co-morbidities such as diabetes and asthmatic or heart diseases. More air pollution will spell a doom for other Covid patients. If not controlled, it will further worsen the air quality in Delhi.
NASA satellite imagery has already reported over 40 cases of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. Paddy harvesting will pick up in the first week of October. A number of fields have already been cleared in six Punjab districts and farmers are waiting for the right moment to get rid of the residue. The fields are set ablaze during the night when authorities lower their guard.
The state governments this time may not be harsh against the farmers due to political considerations. Thousands of farmers are already on the streets to protest against the controversial farm laws. The ruling Congress and opposition AAP and SAD are hell bent on squeezing political capital out of the situation by inciting farmers in their own ways.
The Punjab government that has given a free hand to farmers to oppose the Centre’s farm laws may not be willing to earn their ire by booking them in residue burning cases.