Madhya Pradesh: Stubble burning undebated despite severe environmental impact

At 4 o'clock in the evening, Rahul lights a plastic pipe and starts burning the soybean straw left in the field. The gentle wind blowing towards the west slowly spreads the smoke into the sky. Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh, known for its Sharbati wheat, sows soybeans in the Kharif season. After the harvest, farmers generally destroy the crop residue (straw) left in the field by burning it. Rahul says, he has been doing the same for years, his father also did the same.

After Punjab, stubble is burnt the most in Madhya Pradesh

During the initial week of October, you would witness fields ablaze with burning stubble in the evenings around the Indore Bhopal Bypass. The scene is typical also in February-March following wheat harvest. Despite Madhya Pradesh being the second state with the most stubble burning instances after Punjab, there isn't as much outcry or discussion as compared to Punjab and Haryana. In 2020, Madhya Pradesh reported 49,459 cases of stubble burning while Punjab reported 92,922 cases. Over the past decade, instances of stubble burning in Madhya Pradesh have gone up ten-fold. It is also notable that the Rabi season tends to see more cases of stubble burning compared to the Kharif season.

Rotovator, an alternative

We observed farmer Mahesh on Produce Market (Upaj Mandi) Road in Sehore, mixed soybean crop residue into his field using a rotovator. Mahesh informed us,

"On this occasion, I have used a harvester to collect the soybean and I'm now clearing the leftover residue in the field with a rotovator. The rotovator's rental cost is quite steep at a rate of Rs 800-1200 per hour. Although costly, it is a more beneficial option compared to burning the field; it will serve as a fertilizer for my farm."

A rotovator or rotavator is a tractor-driven equipment mainly used in levelling the soil and removing and mixing the residues of maize, wheat, sugarcane etc. However, a rotovator is not very useful in wheat straw because wheat crop residue is hard.

Pusa Bio-enzyme is not available in the Sehore market

Professor RP Singh at Sehore Agricultural College says that

"Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been burning crop stubble for years, under the mistaken belief that the resultant ash aids subsequent crops. However, this process actually eradicates the vital organic components in the soil, that act akin to fertilizers. In recent times, bio enzymes that can be sprayed on crop remnants have been made available in the market. These decompose in 15-30 days and are beneficial for the next crop, while also preserving the fertility of the soil."

We inquired about the PUSA decomposer or bio-enzyme from the Sehore shopkeepers who sell fertilizers, seeds and medicines. Their response was that they don't have this product as no one purchases it here. Amit of Maheshwari Agricultural Products says that,

"The farmer in this place is convinced about the practice of burning the stubble. This medication is only available for purchase in Punjab and Haryana, not here."

Pollution is increasing, but rules are still not followed on the ground

The government of Madhya Pradesh has instructed the District Collector to monitor and report cases of field burning. Additionally, the National Green Tribunal has mandated the fining of farmers for stubble burning in their fields. Despite these regulations, enforcement in Madhya Pradesh has been lax, resulting in continual stubble burning predominantly between September to October, and March to May. The Madhya Pradesh government had, in a 2017 notification, highlighted the significant pollution and ensuing environmental risks in the region due to this stubble burning.

After setting fire to the field, Rahul sits in the shade of a tree and tells us that

"The big farmers in the village use rotovators in their fields... we lack the financial means to do the same. Suffering from no rainfall in August, our soybean crop suffered a 50% damage. The question is... where will I get the funds to sow my next crop... how will I buy medicines to fertilizers to seeds, including DAP and urea. They are expensive. On top of that, you're suggesting the application of an additional, new medicine."

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