Paying farmers to harvest paddy manually could reduce NCR’s pollution

The genesis of the occupation lies successful the Sub-soil Water Conservation Acts passed successful 2009 by the Punjab and Haryana governments. These laws prohibit paddy sowing earlier mid-June. Their intent is to guarantee sowing person to monsoon and conserve groundwater successful the process. Delayed sowing, however, results successful delayed harvesting. The harvest rhythm is delayed by 2 to 3 weeks. After harvesting, farmers traditionally had a model of astir 4 to six weeks to sow the adjacent rabi crop, chiefly wheat. This model has shrunk by fractional successful the past 15 years.

Traditionally farmers would harvest paddy manually — that leaves nary stubble and is besides an eco-friendly method. Farm workers determination from tract to tract during the harvesting period. Other than successful Punjab and Haryana, paddy is, by and large, harvested manually. The smaller model of harvesting successful the bluish states means each paddy farmers request labour astatine astir the aforesaid time. Labour frankincense becomes scarce, costly and unaffordable for most. As a result, farmers usage machines to harvest the paddy crop. Mechanical harvesting leaves astir two-feet stubble successful the tract which has to beryllium burnt accelerated to wide the fields for the adjacent crop. Mechanical harvesting and stubble absorption necessitate astir Rs 4,000 per acre, unaffordable to astir farmers. They are constrained to pain the stubble.

Stubble burning is ecologically harmful. It leads to the depletion of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium and different micronutrients that are indispensable to ungraded health. These nutrients person to beryllium replenished for the adjacent harvest cycle. We import ample quantities of these chemic fertilisers. One spinoff of stubble burning is, therefore, an summation successful the import bill. The signifier besides releases harmful greenhouse gases. Earthworms and different utile worms and insects are killed successful the burning process, further impairing ungraded quality.

The astir eco-friendly solution is to harvest paddy manually. After manual harvesting and threshing, the residue is utilized arsenic fodder. A portion is besides acceptable speech arsenic bedding for animals successful the winter.

To promote farmers to harvest paddy manually and negociate the stubble subsequently, the governments should wage them what it costs to bash truthful — astir Rs 4,000 per acre. MGNREGA funds could beryllium utilized to partially concern this shift. If labourers are paid well, a ample fig of them are apt to migrate to Punjab and Haryana astir October, arsenic they bash each twelvemonth during sowing clip successful June-July. This volition besides partially mitigate the agrarian unemployment problem.

Penalising farmers and subsidising costly fossil fuel-guzzling machines shouldn’t beryllium the solution to NCR’s contamination crisis. In the past, governments nudged farmers towards cultivating wheat and paddy to guarantee the nutrient information of the country. Farmers tin likewise beryllium nudged towards harvest diversification with a ineligible warrant of MSP and assured acquisition of different crops similar coarse cereals, oilseeds and pulses. This volition trim the country nether water-guzzling crops successful Punjab and Haryana and besides guarantee self-reliance successful rootlike oils. India imports astir 60 per cent of its edible lipid requirements. In 2021-22, we spent astir $19 cardinal of overseas speech to import rootlike oils.

A instrumentality to manual harvesting volition prevention h2o and curb pollution. In different words, the benefits of paying farmers to power to manual harvesting widen beyond improving Delhi-NCR’s aerial quality. Every twelvemonth successful planetary clime alteration meets, negotiators speech of spending trillions of dollars to combat clime alteration and incorporate c emissions. It would beryllium worthwhile to statesman by paying a fewer 1000 crore rupees to farmers to guarantee 100 per cent manual paddy harvesting.

The writer is president, Kisan Shakti Sangh