Why in the News?

Recently, a parliamentary committee, led by Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora, has suggested setting a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy residue. This aims to discourage farmers from burning stubble, which is a major cause of air pollution in Delhi.

What were the observations made by the Parliamentary standing committee?

• Stubble Burning as a Key Cause of Air Pollution: The committee acknowledged that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana significantly contributes to Delhi’s air pollution during winter.
• Farmers’ Constraints: Farmers burn stubble due to a short window (25 days) between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing.
• State-wise Disparities: Punjab generates 16.1 million tonnes of non-basmati paddy straw annually, while Haryana generates only 4.04 million tonnes. Punjab also reported 10,990 stubble-burning incidents in 2023-24, compared to Haryana’s 1,406.
• Existing Government Schemes: The Central government provides subsidies for crop residue management machinery, but high fuel costs make their usage unfeasible for many farmers.
• Incentive Gap: Haryana provides higher financial support (₹7,000/acre for crop diversification, ₹4,000 for direct seeding of rice), whereas Punjab offers only ₹1,500 for direct seeding.
• Technological Gaps: Even after mechanized harvesting, 10-15 cm of stubble remains in fields, which cannot be manually cleared due to labour shortages.

What recommendations were given by the Panel?

• Minimum Price for Paddy Residue: Establish a mechanism to determine a minimum price for paddy residue, similar to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, in consultation with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The benchmark price should be announced before the Kharif season to reflect residue collection costs.
• Promote Short-Duration Paddy Varieties: Urge state governments to promote short-duration paddy varieties instead of long-duration ones like PUSA 44.
• Unified National Policy: Implement a unified national policy to integrate agricultural residue into bioenergy generation, ensuring inter-ministerial coordination.
• Real-time Forecasting: Establish real-time mapping of crop acreage and forecasting of crop maturity and weather patterns to estimate land under cultivation and assess district-wise crop yields for better planning.
• Storage Facilities: Set up interim storage facilities in districts where industries or end-users are not available within a 20–50 km range to facilitate efficient crop residue collection and transport.
• Incentives and Subsidies: Provide incentives for the transportation of stubble to discourage in-field burning and subsidize machinery for in-situ paddy straw management. Farmers should get a 50 percent subsidy for machinery and 80 percent for establishing centers for renting out machines for managing paddy straw.
• Technological Advancements: Develop technology that combines the work of harvesters and cutters to completely clear stubble from fields and promote early-maturing crop varieties.

What is Delhi govt’s 20-point Winter Action Plan?

• Real-Time Monitoring and Special Task Force: The plan includes the use of drones for real-time monitoring of pollution hotspots, marking a shift from manual inventory methods. Additionally, a special task force will be formed to oversee pollution control efforts and ensure compliance with regulations across various sectors.
• Control Measures for Pollution Sources: The action plan emphasizes controlling dust pollution through increased water sprinkling, deployment of anti-smog guns, and strict regulations on construction sites. It also addresses vehicular emissions by promoting work-from-home policies and considering the implementation of an odd-even vehicle rationing scheme during high pollution days.
• Public Participation and Emergency Measures: The plan encourages public involvement through campaigns and initiatives aimed at reducing pollution, such as banning firecrackers and promoting eco-friendly practices.
  • Emergency measures like artificial rain are also proposed to mitigate severe pollution events expected around Diwali and during stubble burning seasons.

Way forward: 

• Sustainable Agricultural Practices & Farmer Incentives: Strengthen financial incentives for crop residue management, promote widespread adoption of short-duration paddy varieties, and enhance technological solutions for complete stubble removal to reduce reliance on burning.
• Integrated Pollution Control & Public Awareness: Implement a coordinated air quality management framework involving real-time monitoring, stricter enforcement of emission norms, and large-scale public participation campaigns to promote eco-friendly practices and behavioural change.

Mains PYQ:

Q Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three Mega cities of the country but the air pollution is much more serious probelm in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so? (UPSC IAS/2015)

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