Incidents of paddy stubble burning were first recorded in 2012-13 and then through satellite images in 2016. Since then the Punjab government has been making efforts such as educating farmers through camps and various campaigns on ways to control cases of fires.
Stubble management machines were first distributed in 2018 and to date, the state has 90,422 such machines and 30,000 more will be added this year, taking the number to 1.20 lakh. Even with campaigns, machines and various techniques, there has been no respite from stubble fires.
In 2016 when the government entrusted Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) at Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, for real-time monitoring of field fires, the state recorded the highest number of such incidents in a decade at 81,876 (72% burnt area).
That was an eye opener for both state and the Centre and two years later, the central government came up with Corp Residues Management (CRM) Scheme to provide stubble management machines on subsidy to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
In four years, from 2018 to 2021, Punjab got Rs 1147 crore under CRM of which Rs 935 crore were used till last year and the remaining will be used in 2022.
13 types of machines
Over the years, 13 types of machines (all tractor mounted) were distributed to manage stubble using in-situ and ex-situ methods. Of the total 90,422 machines, 26,305 are super seeders (SSs), which are used for sowing wheat without clearing stubble as it buries while sowing, 13,540 happy seeders (HPs), 16,109 zero till drills (ZTDs) both these machines can sow wheat in standing stubble after harvesting paddy using Super SMS attached combine harvester.
Other machines include 7,767 paddy straw choppers; 6,235 mulchers to cut stubble into small pieces; 8,125 reversible MB plough to bury stubble in soil, 5,972 super SMS, which cut stubble more than half of its length and spread in the field evenly at the time of harvesting only; 3,835 rotavators, used for seedbed preparation and mixing chopped residue, and remaining around 2500 are rotary slasher, Shrub Master, cutter cum spreader, and baler and rake, which makes bales of standing stubble.
How stubble is managed using these machines
Punjab has over 3 million hectares (30 lakh hectares and 74 lakh acres) under rice cultivation. After using these machines, the state recorded 52% burnt area under paddy in 2021, which was the lowest in a decade but is still huge considering that Punjab produces over 200 lakh quintals of stubble every year. The maximum time between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing is around 20 days depending on the duration of paddy varieties. With 55,954 machines of three types — HP, SS, and ZTD –, it is not required to clear stubble before wheat sowing and it can cover 84 lakh to 110 lakh acres in 20 days which is much more than the area (74 lakh acres) under paddy. These machines cover 150 to 200 acres in a season of 20 to 25 days. Apart from this, farmers have several other machines to manage stubble and then sow wheat even with a rotavator. Even experts from the Punjab Agriculture department agreed that the state now has sufficient machinery.
Why no respite from fires
Various government policies were introduced over time. For example, in 2018, under the CRM scheme of the government, HS machines were promoted and of 13,504 available HSs in the state, 9,552 were distributed in the first year. In 2021, only 224 HSs were distributed as demand from farmers decreased. Of the total available ZTDs, 66% were distributed in 2018 and 2019 and even their demand came down. In 2019, both these machines were replaced by SS and now it has become the most sought-after machine and its number is also the highest among all. Now majority of HS and ZTD machines are lying idle and farmers treat them as scrap. Most farmers prefer SS due to its dual function – sowing and burying stubble – at the same time as this gives a clean look to the field. “Mostly wheat is sown through SS, which can cover only 40 to 50 lakh acres if all of them are run to their full capacity for 20 days against 74 lakh acres under rice. And the area will become much less because a large number of SS is owned by individual farmers,” said a senior officer in the Agriculture department, adding that when technologically advanced machine is added, the other machines in the same segment becomes outdated.
Where lies the faultline
Experts said that despite awareness campaigns, a large number of farmers are still apprehensive about sowing their crops using HS or SS as there is a need to fuel confidence among them through several field demonstrations instead of talks. Also, machines owned by individual farmers, who own 40 to 45% of the machines, must be used in the fields by other farmers on rent. Customer hiring centres (CHCs) should be given the target of motivating farmers to use these machines. Machines owned by Cooperative Societies must be brought in for proper usage as most of them are underutilised by these societies due to a lack of staff. There is also a need to focus on 10 districts that are burning 85% of the total burnt area. “Distribution is not enough as most districts with the huge numbers of machines are burning more,” said an Agricultural officer. Punjab has 67% small and marginal farmers with one to 5 acres and they said that they cannot afford machines due to the high cost of diesel. PAU could not provide any scientific solutions to decompose the stubble organically in the field and it focuses on developing new machines. Microplanning at the village level and cooperative societies are needed. Also, ex-Situ management is taking place but in slow motion.
Meanwhile, Jagdish Singh, joint director of Farm Machinery Wing at the Punjab Agriculture Department, said that their duty is to educate farmers and provide solutions through campaigns. “We are also launching online programmes, including I-Khet App, to show the availability of machines near by. But it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute in this direction,” said Singh, who is also the Nodal Officer of stubble management in Punjab.