<p>The Supreme Court’s suggestion that the government can consider prosecution of farmers who burn post-harvest crop stubble is unrealistic and might be seen as insensitive by many. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana burn the stubble in the winter months, contributing to air pollution in Delhi, which is already reeling under acute pollution, Uttar Pradesh, and their own states. Past attempts to check the burning of crop stubble have not succeeded. </p><p>When it was pointed out that repeated court directives and government actions have not helped, the Court observed that putting “some people behind the bars” would send out the right message and might act as a deterrent. Action on these lines, however, may set a wrong precedent.</p>.Nanded farmers to get 100% crop loss relief; Rs 553 cr payout begins Sep 22: Minister Dattatray Bharne.<p>Arrests have been made in the past and hefty fines imposed. These measures have only alienated the farmers. The Commission for Air Quality Management, which has tried to enforce steps to control air pollution in the region, has exempted farmers from prosecution. Stubble burning is a layered problem with no quick-fix solutions. Alternatives such as industrial use of crop residue and smart stubble management have been mooted but they are yet to make headway. Farmers see stubble burning as part of their operational cycle. Deploying manual labour or machinery to dispose of the residue is not economical for small-scale farmers who constitute a large part of the community in the region. </p><p>They note that the existing solutions are not sustainable and have failed to ease the pressure on them. In Punjab, most of the crop residue management machines have remained unused due to their high diesel consumption and cumbersome operation. New solutions must be affordable and easy for the farmers to adopt. While devising technological solutions involves challenges, administrative layers add to the problem.</p>.<p>Even as stubble burning is being addressed at some levels, other sources of pollution remain largely unchecked. Vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, extensive construction activities, and unscientific waste management have posed serious threats. Some of these have been found more threatening to the environment – polluting air all through the year – than stubble burning, which remains a largely seasonal problem. The administration has been found wanting in cracking down on pollution sources in the cities, which validates the farmers’ allegations that an ‘urban bias’ is in play against the stubble burners. </p><p>A policy of prosecution and confrontation will not yield results. What is required is a focussed, multi-pronged strategy towards sustainable solutions. Furthermore, the farmers should be extended all support in adapting to the new ways.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court’s suggestion that the government can consider prosecution of farmers who burn post-harvest crop stubble is unrealistic and might be seen as insensitive by many. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana burn the stubble in the winter months, contributing to air pollution in Delhi, which is already reeling under acute pollution, Uttar Pradesh, and their own states. Past attempts to check the burning of crop stubble have not succeeded. </p><p>When it was pointed out that repeated court directives and government actions have not helped, the Court observed that putting “some people behind the bars” would send out the right message and might act as a deterrent. Action on these lines, however, may set a wrong precedent.</p>.Nanded farmers to get 100% crop loss relief; Rs 553 cr payout begins Sep 22: Minister Dattatray Bharne.<p>Arrests have been made in the past and hefty fines imposed. These measures have only alienated the farmers. The Commission for Air Quality Management, which has tried to enforce steps to control air pollution in the region, has exempted farmers from prosecution. Stubble burning is a layered problem with no quick-fix solutions. Alternatives such as industrial use of crop residue and smart stubble management have been mooted but they are yet to make headway. Farmers see stubble burning as part of their operational cycle. Deploying manual labour or machinery to dispose of the residue is not economical for small-scale farmers who constitute a large part of the community in the region. </p><p>They note that the existing solutions are not sustainable and have failed to ease the pressure on them. In Punjab, most of the crop residue management machines have remained unused due to their high diesel consumption and cumbersome operation. New solutions must be affordable and easy for the farmers to adopt. While devising technological solutions involves challenges, administrative layers add to the problem.</p>.<p>Even as stubble burning is being addressed at some levels, other sources of pollution remain largely unchecked. Vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, extensive construction activities, and unscientific waste management have posed serious threats. Some of these have been found more threatening to the environment – polluting air all through the year – than stubble burning, which remains a largely seasonal problem. The administration has been found wanting in cracking down on pollution sources in the cities, which validates the farmers’ allegations that an ‘urban bias’ is in play against the stubble burners. </p><p>A policy of prosecution and confrontation will not yield results. What is required is a focussed, multi-pronged strategy towards sustainable solutions. Furthermore, the farmers should be extended all support in adapting to the new ways.</p>
