Probable Solution of Burning of Paddy Straw - Dr. S.S. Chhina
Paddy straw burning has become a permanent Phenomena in Northern states of Punjab, Haryana and U.P. Last year it emerged as a big havoc as the smoke of this burning, engulfed all these states and particularly the capital area of Delhi where it spread profusely making the abominable atmosphere in this area. Ostensibly the administration must have realized that the coercion to mitigate this plight would be ludicrous, that is why the Central Government allotted Rs.1151 crores to address this problem in Punjab. The policy of persuasion is adopted. The provision is made to purchase 14000 machines to mange the straw in the fields but till now only 500 machines could be procured, though the harvesting of paddy is expected to be started by the end of September and that would continue till the beginning of November.
Actually the farmer is not burning straw diliberately to create any problem, he is concious to sow the subsequent crop of wheat where the gap between harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat is very small. He has to resort to straw burning to clear the field prior to preparing the seed bed for next crop. He can not wait long to let the straw be absorbed in the field in long run. Inspite of that fact that 40000 complaints of straw burning were registered last year but how far it is justified to waste time and money where there were no deliberate intentions to create any problem and as the fields are adjoining with each other, it becomes difficult to prove the fault of a particular farmer. More over burning of straw that has its attributes for value addition must have its sustainable and permanent solution.
According to agricultural experts, it involves about Rs.1500/- to Rs.2000/- per acre to clear the field through other means including the cost of diesel apart from the time spent becomes unbearable for the farmer. There are about 74 percent of the holdings those are below 5 acres and no farmer can take the risk to forego the much remunerative crop of wheat that is a staple crop and major food item of Punjab. In 2016 the total area under paddy was about 2.8 million hectares that thrived to 3.0 million hectares in 2017 and it is very interesting that this year when the hike of Rs.250 per quintal in the minimum support price of paddy was announced, the transplantation of paddy was almost complete.
As 60 percent of the irrigation water is obtained from underground, so the water level has depleted much throughout the state, cultivation of paddy is assigned as a major reason for that. Among 147 block of the state, the water level in 100 blocks has gone so low that it is emerging as a problem for installation of tubewell and for its operation. But is it possible to force the farmer that he may not grow paddy and adopt the other crops? It is only the assured provision with higher M.S.P. accompanied by state procurement that may turn the other crops as equally beneficial, to change the proclivity of the farmer to grow the alternative crops.
Actually the farmer is more interested in assured marketing that is provided in case of wheat and paddy only as the Government assured the procurement through its own agencies. Every year the farmer do not bother to wait for the accouncement of the minimum support price for wheat and paddy. In Punjab the cropping pattern has turned towards wheat and paddy only, where these two crops are covering about 70 percent area of the state.
Number of times the Government, the Universities and experts are recommending the diversification, even the announcement for much higher M.S.P. of other crops is made every year, only this year the hike in the price of Moong was announced as Rs.1400 per quintal, but the situation would remain invariable as it happened earlier, lack of Government procurement of other crops is the only factor that could not attract the farmers to enhance their area under those crops. There would be no problem on the front of food stocks even if area under paddy may be reduced to its half but the reduction in area can’t be enforced on the farmers.
Looking on the invariable cropping pattern and the emerging problem of straw burning, it needs o be addressed socially with the patronage of the Government. Looking on the attributes of paddy straw for its value addition in the form of cardboard, paper, cattle feed, Bio-fuel etc. it is most prudent to encourage the installation of small units to save this straw from its burning. It can’t be expected that the farmer would install his Industrial Unit irrespective of the size of the farm. Big but few Industrial units can’t be a workable idea as it involves lot of transportation cost, because the straw is spread in the entirety of the area. It is estimated that about 20 million tones of straw is produced every year that can be turned as useful products.
The paradigm of dairy is the most appropriate alternative for it. The dairy cooperatives have contributed a lot in the Punjab Economy. It is only Punjab, where dairy is contributing about 9 percent in the state gross domestic product of Punjab in which the role of dairy cooperatives is laudable. As the small scale units are more suitable for such Industrial Units, those should be installed in all the blocks of the State where the farmers of the area should be made shareholders. Though the farmers would be getting small price of their straw, but with the value addition they would avail the bonus on the pattern of dairy on the basis of their share they had contributed in the cooperative venture. The straw that was a big problem that would turn as an useful product in different shapes but at the same time it would generate income and employment simultaneously in all the blocks. As the infrastructure in the form of electricity, roads, banks, workshops etc are available everywhere and there is no dearth of raw material so all such units under small scale of production would run successfully.
The Writer is a Senior Fellow of
Institutes of Social Sciences, New Delhi
27 Sept. 2018
