Stubble Burning: Punjab Farmers Blame Govt As Air Quality Worsens

As the air quality worsens, farmers in Punjab continue to burn stubble saying they have no option but to burn it. 

(Picture Credit: Arnica Kala/The Quint)

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Each year, farmers in North India burn stubble left over from harvested paddy, which contributes to the degradation of air quality. This year, too, farmers in Punjab have been burning their leftover paddy straws.

Despite several appeals from the governments, the farmers continue to burn stubbles, saying they have no option.

Stating that they are not the only ones to be blamed, farmers question state governments over their failure to provide them with a suitable solution.

“We also know that the stubble that we are burning is harmful. This smoke reaches our homes too. I am educated. They say that our smoke reaches Delhi, but we don’t have a solution. We want the government to give us proper solutions and provide us with subsidies. It’s affecting our health as well. If they provide us with good machinery and tractors, we won’t burn the stubble. We have no option but to burn it.”

Farmer, Punjab 

‘Unable To Bear Cost Of Machinery’

Farmers from Punjab say that the machines required to remove the leftover paddy straws from their fields are very expensive, and buying and maintaining them is beyond their monetary capacities.

“The government provides a super feeder, which costs around Rs 2 lakh. It requires a tractor of at least 60 horsepower... where do we get these from?” asks a farmer from Sangrur in Punjab.

“There are one or two machines, here and there. They can’t cover all the areas and remove the stubble. We have no option but to burn it.”

Farmer, Punjab

Did Not Receive Any Compensation, Complain Farmers

To remove the leftover paddy straws in the fields, farmers in Punjab had demanded Rs 6,000 per acre of land, as subsidy, so that they can hire labourers for the work.

Paddy is grown in about 65 lakh acres in Punjab. After the harvest of the paddy crop, farmers are left with 20 million tonnes of paddy straw.

“The high court had ordered the government to help farmers with machinery and compensation. Last year, we demanded Rs 6,000. The government promised Rs 2,500 but you can ask anyone in the village if anyone has received anything.”

Farmer, Punjab 

Centre Plans To Bring Law To Control Pollution

The Supreme Court recently suspended the committee that it had made on 16 October, to tackle the problem of stubble burning, after the Centre informed the top court that it is going to bring a law in order to control pollution.

Earlier, on 16 October, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar had said that 95 percent of the air pollution in the national capital is due to local factors and only four percent is because of stubble burning.