Punjab: Threat of toxic air due to farm fires looks real

Chandigarh: A recent survey about the air quality of various towns in Punjab has shown significant deterioration in the air quality across the state. With the harvesting season just a month away and ominous signs of farmers set to repeat their criminal act of stubble burning, Punjab residents have little hope of escaping smog and choking winter air like previous years.

Despite the best of efforts of government agencies, stubble burning has continued in the state. Despite warning of legal action, farmer unions have refused to give up the practice of burning crop residue in their fields and asked the government to provide Rs 6,000 per acre financial assistance so that they could dispose of stubble in an eco-friendly manner without resorting to burning it.

Sources in Punjab government said that political considerations have always prevented the party in power from cracking the whip against erring farmers.

“Like previous years, some farmers, owning allegiance to the Opposition parties, would be booked and penalised for stubble burning and the rest would not be touched. The figures on penalties are important for filing affidavit in court and there is no serious effort by the government to address the problem,” said a government functionary.   

Pollution levels in Punjab double in the state in October and November due to stubble burning. Previous data and satellite maps, show that the national capital region (NCR) turns into a smoke chamber due to rampant stubble burning in states like Punjab. People of the region including Delhi, Punjab and Haryana are affected by the ill-effects of smog which contains harmful suspended particular matter (SPM), sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Latest data shows that air quality in the state is bad throughout the year and dips to its worst during the crop burning months of October and November. It was “poor” or “very poor” during the first six months of this year.

As per standards, 0-50 microgram per cubic metre (µg/m³) RSPM (respirable suspended particulate matter) is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe. The average air quality in the first six months of this year was recorded between moderate to poor with sometimes reaching “very poor” category.

Now with harvesting season just around the corner, the worries of smog trouble are bothering people. This year paddy has been cultivated in 74 lakhs acres of Punjab and 22 million metric tonnes of rice residue is expected to be generated. Punjab alone contributes 65 per cent of the total residue produced by the northern states. Biomass-based power generating units in Punjab can consume only five million tonnes of the stubble. Leaving behind 17 million metric tonnes of rice residue to be burnt to pollute across north India.

Despite the many warnings from the government to act tough against farmers resorting to straw burning, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) and its allied farm unions have demanded Rs 200 per quintal as bonus or Rs 6,000 per acre as financial assistance for stopping paddy straw/stubble burning to check air pollution in the state.

According to the, general secretary of the BKU (Ekta) Sukhdev Singh Kokri farm unions were in favour of scientific management of paddy straw without burning only if the government bears all the expenses.

“The farmers here are not enough financially sound to bear the expenses of the management of paddy straw without burning. Therefore, the government must roll out financial assistance,” he said.