According to knowledge from authorities officers, until November 3, Haryana has recorded 2,377 incidents of stubble burning this 12 months, decrease than 3,438 recorded until November 3 in 2021 – a 30% drop.

District-wise knowledge of cumulative variety of residue burning occasions detected between September 15 and November 3 exhibits that farm fires in a number of districts within the paddy belt of Haryana that account for majority of farm fires — Fatehabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar — have declined significantly as in comparison with final 12 months. In Karnal, which recorded 763 farm fires throughout this era in 2021, solely over one-third (264) farm fires have been reported in 2022. In Kaithal, 563 incidents of stubble burning have been reported in 2022 as in comparison with 865 incidents final 12 months, whereas in Kurukshetra, 289 farm fires have been reported this 12 months as in comparison with 476 final 12 months.

The decline has been constant. In the previous six years, Haryana has succeeded in lowering stubble burning incidents by over 55%. The variety of such incidents diminished from 15,686 in 2016 to six,987 in 2021.

Farmers in Karnal mentioned discount in stubble burning incidents this 12 months within the district was largely on account of non-public contractors offering balers — a machine used to compress crop residue into compact bales — to farmers freed from value and promoting bales of crop residue for use at cardboard factories, biomass vegetation, boilers and ethanol vegetation at a small mark-up.

“It is a win-win for farmers and contractors (zamindars). The baler costs over Rs 15 lakh and requires three machines tied to a tractor to process paddy into compact bales. With additional input costs of diesel and employing labour, it’s quite expensive for a farmer to purchase it, despite the subsidy given by the government for these implements. So, baler owners are using a farmer’s land to clear paddy and taking bales from crop residue to sell them for around Rs 170 a quintal. The cost is borne by baler owners; a baler can clear a 20-acre area fairly quickly. As compared to last year, more machines are available for use and there is more awareness among farmers regarding pollution. So, farm fires have considerably reduced,” mentioned Kuldeep Waraich, lumberdar, Ramba village.

He mentioned that in some instances, farmers had been paying these contractors a fraction from the subsidy given to them by the federal government for not burning stubble.

Officials of Haryana agriculture and farmers welfare division attributed the decline in stubble burning throughout districts in Haryana to a number of incentives, together with money rewards and subsidies, given to the farmers for not burning stubble and in-situ and ex-situ crop administration. Government officers mentioned a number of farmers had been additionally utilizing tremendous seeders and comfortable seeder machines, which assist in sowing wheat straight into paddy leftovers.

A provision of giving an incentive of Rs 1,000 per acre has been made by the state authorities to those that don’t burn stubble. Besides this, Rs 50 per quintal incentive quantity and subsidy on straw administration tools are given to farmers for making stubble bales. Farmers are being given a 50% subsidy on tools for crop residue administration and an 80% subsidy on customized hiring centres. If the farmer takes stubble bales to the ethanol vegetation in Karnal and Panipat, he’s given an incentive of Rs 2,000 per acre and if a farmer takes stubble to gaushalas, an incentive of Rs 1,500 is given.

As one enters Karnal, heaps of stubble bales from paddy residue lay stacked on farms and plots. A couple of metres forward, a farmer had set fireplace to his paddy subject. “Three years ago, everyone here would burn stubble to clear their farms. There was no other alternative,” mentioned Raju, a farmer who owns over 30 acres at Darar Dera village.

“Now, there is more awareness. Stubble burning is penalised and crop residue management machines are being made available. Agar suvidha milegi, toh kyun koi aag lagaega. Some fires that are being reported are to clear the residue from balers,” he added.

Officials mentioned stubble burning instances in Haryana had risen on the time of farm agitation. In Karnal too, between September 15 and November 3, farm fires spiked from 535 to 763 that 12 months. Waraich mentioned, “That was at the height of farmer agitation and many farmers burnt paddy in protest.”

For small farmers, nevertheless, burning paddy continues to be essentially the most cost-effective choice. Ismail Singh from Sangoha village, who has rented a 3-acre plot, mentioned, “Large contractors provide services to larger farms due to economies of scale in bales processing. For a small farmer like me, burning paddy remains the only option.”

Dr Hardeep Singh, Director General, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, mentioned, “Over 72,770 crop residue management machines were given to farmers till last year and 7,146 machines will be provided this year. The government is also providing operational charges for machinery. In villages located in red zones (where 6 or more stubble burning cases are reported), cash rewards are being given to the panchayat as an incentive if they bring the cases to zero. Several lakh tonnes of paddy husks are being used in biomass power projects in the state and more such plants will be commissioned. Over 2.5 lakh kits of PUSA decomposer capsules are being provided for 2.5 lakh acre area for being sprayed to destroy stubble.”

(With inputs from Sukhbir Siwach)