Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal handed out masks to school children as a part of his govt's initiative, and also told them to stop garbage burning in the city.
Kejriwal’s Delhi govt said effective stubble fire counts in Punjab & Haryana increased to 2,577 in the last 24 hours, pushing air pollution levels to severe.
As Kejriwal dismisses Modi govt’s data that stubble burning causes just 10% of Delhi’s pollution, ThePrint on why there is such confusion on the source of the capital's chronic winter problem.
Referring to a SAFAR report that said stubble burning accounted for just 10% of Delhi's pollution, CM Arvind Kejriwal said no agency has the machinery to measure the cause of pollution.
Haryana is focusing on an intensive awareness campaign but is stopping short of taking punitive action against farmers in the wake of assembly elections next month.
According to the agriculture ministry, the number of stubble burning incidents had reduced by 41% in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in 2018 as compared to 2016.
SEBI probe concluded that purported loans and fund transfers were paid back in full and did not amount to deceptive market practices or unreported related party transactions.
India exited the Indo-Russian FGFA programme in 2018. But now it might procure at least 2 squadrons of Su-57 aircraft from Russia and evaluate Russian proposal to manufacture them in India.
Many really smart people now share the position that playing cricket with Pakistan is politically, strategically and morally wrong. It is just a poor appreciation of competitive sport.
I agree in parts. The farmers are to blame – that cannot be taken away. And, where is the class here? These are not poor, impoverished farmers that we are talking about. A significant number of them live in the developed world, a large proportion employ all its labour from the adjoining states and even the marginal and small farmers used mechanized threshing facilities – leaving a 12 inch stalk length of high-silicon parali which in burned. Opposed to what was a one inch stubble decades ago – we have compounded it by 12 times in the present era. So that’s the change.
Yes – we should also ban firecrackers – I see no use for it.
And – we should increase our fleet of battery cars – though I do know that it would just be offsetting the pollution till the time the recharging becomes viable through renewable sources – atleast it would offer Delhi a breather.
I believe this comment is the only farmers view on this subject. I would like Mr Shekar Gupta to take notice of this please.
I was wondering that one basic averse decision by a ruling regime can affect an economic circle plus create unseen environmental problems.
We started with Gau Raksha .The holy cow as per scriptures is the bos indicus ( the humped Zebu ).
This animal due to low milk production is unviable as a unit of a commercial diary . As all agricultural operations are mechanical the Bullock is redundant.
The science of breeding says that all breeds are needed to maintain genetic diversity. That doesn’t mean stray cattle but indicates making sustained efforts in preserving Native Dairy breeds and their genes.
Now the comercial dairy units small and large were depending on Bos Tauraus or Exotic dairy blood to run successful dairy ventures due to commercially sustainable milk yields.
These animals were in routine culled,traded and transported.
By not having a clear policy vis a vis Gau Raksha we have clubbed both these breeds bringing an abrupt halt to the cattle trade and sale.
Smaller ventures have shut down and demand of paddy straw has fallen .
Interestingly this has lead to unemployment and burning of surplus straw and therefore more air pollution.
Another after affect is shrinking rural Dairy business and higher milk rates
Definitely the result of ill conceived political policies.
Therefore the reasons of straw burning is surplus straw due to Farmers dropping dairy at the smaller scale in Villages leading to mechanical harvesting of Paddy. The aftereffect as mentioned is the collapse of small scale Dairy production and unemployment.
The small gap between Paddy harvesting and Wheat Planting makes it financially unfeasible for the cash strapped farmer to remove the stubble leading to burning.
Another problem is that our Buffer Stock of Grains has doubled due to discouraging Sugar cane and timber plantations there by increasing the Paddy Wheat rotation. This not only is soil detrimental but also leads to surplus grain procurement which locks National finances and causes Storage losses.
Timber Woes are due to demonetization and the collapse of the construction industry causing a slump in demand and a fall in wood prices.
Acreage under Social Forestry took a direct hit leading to the Farmers moving back to the undesirable Paddy Wheat cycle
Sugarcane woes were mostly not paying farmers’ dues by the mills which were hit by burgeoning surplus sugar stocks.
Fall in oil prices caused Sugar producing Countries to stop Ethanol Production for public transport and increase sugar production leading to World surpluses.
This lead to a fall in sugarcane acreage and a rise in land under grain production.
My conclusion about what I’ve put across are as below:
1) Crop diversification is a must .A need to break out of the Paddy Wheat rotation which is besides being soil damaging but also leading to Environmental issues of the worst kind besides creating unmanageable surpluses.
2) Straw a useful byproduct is being wasted whereas it can be used for the cardboard/paper industry and feeding cattle.
3) Government must help by subsidizing this aspect of agriculture because National health is of prime importance.
But readers the media has an urban bias and the Rural view point is rarely if ever sought.
Delhites need to be accountable for the polluted air. Even with school closed the cars on the roads are causing crawling traffic and 3 rows of parking slowing traffic e.g. Karol bagh road . Definitely pollution will not decrease this way and by penalizing the farmers who are actually a minor contributor compared to Delhi itself, we will cause further inflation of food prices which are already troubling the lower middle class besides the poor.
How do they solve this issue in other countries , where too similar dry stubble will be left after reaping? I have never heard of getting rid of it by burning in the USA or England.
For the first time perhaps, the writer makes sense. If stubble burning is made illegal due to pollution concrrns, why cannot bursting crackers be made illegal for same reason?
What a toilet article. Mr. Dilip Mandal’ s getting professorship is an indicator of level of Indian education system. Not conceptually he is wrong , but also factually. “This pattern changed after the green revolution in the 1960s. Farmers in these regions sow crops three times a year. This pattern makes it a necessity for them to keep the land ready for the next season.”
In Punjab and Haryana farmers normally reap two crops a year only – paddy and wheat.
Instead of finding a solution to the problem, Mr. Mandal is trying to divide the root cause into classes and instigating and putting one against other whereas in totality both are responsible in choking not only Delhi but entire North India. Just like diesel vehicles and generators which are bane for city – area like Delhi NCR , similarly paddy farming is bane for Punjab & Haryana as the climate and other agriculture factors are naturally alien for paddy cultivation. Both states are responsible in drawing and using extra water at the cost of HP and Delhi. 1kg rice production needs 5000 lit of water. Water table in both the states have come down to the alarming level, entire farmland has lost its fertility and turned cancerous due to excessive use of fertilisers. Ban on paddy farming in both the states is much more urgent than diesel vehicles ban in Delhi. Paddy farming must be encouraged in NE states due to abundance of water and suitable soil. The Print should do away with such buffoons and for the sake of prestige of the paper must engage subject specific experts only. Also pl don’t try to put one against other in the course of inventing an ism.
Comments by Alex are factually and scientifically correct. This articles fails miserably to describe the root of Parali burning. It is nothing to do with the green revolution but is due to paddy and 2 crop cycle . Also paddy is sown close to monsoon onset in Punjab, leaving smaller window for farmers to sow the next crop after paddy harvest. Don’t look for class argument – look for science and facts dear author.
I second your thoughts and arguments.
Rice cultivation in Punjab, Haryana and western UP is the fundamental cause of many issues. Grave issues like cultivable land turning infertile, severe depletion of the water table, excessive consumption of river water by Punjab and Haryana (thereby denying HP and Delhi their rightful share) can all be traced to the practice of rice cultivation.
Historically, rice was never cultivated in this region. It was only with the advent of the Green Revolution that farmers here took to rice cultivation as more profit could be made. Rice requires highly fertile land and an abundant supply of water and therefore is totally unsuitable for this region.
It indeed speaks volumes about the state of Indian academia that people like Mr. Mandal are able to land professorships.
Can you refer to a good source to learn about cropping patterns in Punjab & Haryana? You allege there is a factual error so I would like to know what your source is.
YOU are the casteist buffoon! what sense does it make to drag caste of the author in the discussion? He has a perfectly valid point. Delhi must learn to celebrate Diwali without pollution and must also learn to give up excessive use of cars.
(and no use trying to guess MY caste/religion/gender from my pseudo – you only need google it )
One thing that money can’t buy.. clean air!! Delhites need to wake up and become more responsible citicens
I agree in parts. The farmers are to blame – that cannot be taken away. And, where is the class here? These are not poor, impoverished farmers that we are talking about. A significant number of them live in the developed world, a large proportion employ all its labour from the adjoining states and even the marginal and small farmers used mechanized threshing facilities – leaving a 12 inch stalk length of high-silicon parali which in burned. Opposed to what was a one inch stubble decades ago – we have compounded it by 12 times in the present era. So that’s the change.
Yes – we should also ban firecrackers – I see no use for it.
And – we should increase our fleet of battery cars – though I do know that it would just be offsetting the pollution till the time the recharging becomes viable through renewable sources – atleast it would offer Delhi a breather.
Author: “But there is a stark difference between how the government acts against patakha and parali.”
Eating meat in place of a plant-based diet increases pollution multiple times. Why does not the author explore this avenue?
I believe this comment is the only farmers view on this subject. I would like Mr Shekar Gupta to take notice of this please.
I was wondering that one basic averse decision by a ruling regime can affect an economic circle plus create unseen environmental problems.
We started with Gau Raksha .The holy cow as per scriptures is the bos indicus ( the humped Zebu ).
This animal due to low milk production is unviable as a unit of a commercial diary . As all agricultural operations are mechanical the Bullock is redundant.
The science of breeding says that all breeds are needed to maintain genetic diversity. That doesn’t mean stray cattle but indicates making sustained efforts in preserving Native Dairy breeds and their genes.
Now the comercial dairy units small and large were depending on Bos Tauraus or Exotic dairy blood to run successful dairy ventures due to commercially sustainable milk yields.
These animals were in routine culled,traded and transported.
By not having a clear policy vis a vis Gau Raksha we have clubbed both these breeds bringing an abrupt halt to the cattle trade and sale.
Smaller ventures have shut down and demand of paddy straw has fallen .
Interestingly this has lead to unemployment and burning of surplus straw and therefore more air pollution.
Another after affect is shrinking rural Dairy business and higher milk rates
Definitely the result of ill conceived political policies.
Therefore the reasons of straw burning is surplus straw due to Farmers dropping dairy at the smaller scale in Villages leading to mechanical harvesting of Paddy. The aftereffect as mentioned is the collapse of small scale Dairy production and unemployment.
The small gap between Paddy harvesting and Wheat Planting makes it financially unfeasible for the cash strapped farmer to remove the stubble leading to burning.
Another problem is that our Buffer Stock of Grains has doubled due to discouraging Sugar cane and timber plantations there by increasing the Paddy Wheat rotation. This not only is soil detrimental but also leads to surplus grain procurement which locks National finances and causes Storage losses.
Timber Woes are due to demonetization and the collapse of the construction industry causing a slump in demand and a fall in wood prices.
Acreage under Social Forestry took a direct hit leading to the Farmers moving back to the undesirable Paddy Wheat cycle
Sugarcane woes were mostly not paying farmers’ dues by the mills which were hit by burgeoning surplus sugar stocks.
Fall in oil prices caused Sugar producing Countries to stop Ethanol Production for public transport and increase sugar production leading to World surpluses.
This lead to a fall in sugarcane acreage and a rise in land under grain production.
My conclusion about what I’ve put across are as below:
1) Crop diversification is a must .A need to break out of the Paddy Wheat rotation which is besides being soil damaging but also leading to Environmental issues of the worst kind besides creating unmanageable surpluses.
2) Straw a useful byproduct is being wasted whereas it can be used for the cardboard/paper industry and feeding cattle.
3) Government must help by subsidizing this aspect of agriculture because National health is of prime importance.
But readers the media has an urban bias and the Rural view point is rarely if ever sought.
Delhites need to be accountable for the polluted air. Even with school closed the cars on the roads are causing crawling traffic and 3 rows of parking slowing traffic e.g. Karol bagh road . Definitely pollution will not decrease this way and by penalizing the farmers who are actually a minor contributor compared to Delhi itself, we will cause further inflation of food prices which are already troubling the lower middle class besides the poor.
How do they solve this issue in other countries , where too similar dry stubble will be left after reaping? I have never heard of getting rid of it by burning in the USA or England.
For the first time perhaps, the writer makes sense. If stubble burning is made illegal due to pollution concrrns, why cannot bursting crackers be made illegal for same reason?
What a toilet article. Mr. Dilip Mandal’ s getting professorship is an indicator of level of Indian education system. Not conceptually he is wrong , but also factually. “This pattern changed after the green revolution in the 1960s. Farmers in these regions sow crops three times a year. This pattern makes it a necessity for them to keep the land ready for the next season.”
In Punjab and Haryana farmers normally reap two crops a year only – paddy and wheat.
Instead of finding a solution to the problem, Mr. Mandal is trying to divide the root cause into classes and instigating and putting one against other whereas in totality both are responsible in choking not only Delhi but entire North India. Just like diesel vehicles and generators which are bane for city – area like Delhi NCR , similarly paddy farming is bane for Punjab & Haryana as the climate and other agriculture factors are naturally alien for paddy cultivation. Both states are responsible in drawing and using extra water at the cost of HP and Delhi. 1kg rice production needs 5000 lit of water. Water table in both the states have come down to the alarming level, entire farmland has lost its fertility and turned cancerous due to excessive use of fertilisers. Ban on paddy farming in both the states is much more urgent than diesel vehicles ban in Delhi. Paddy farming must be encouraged in NE states due to abundance of water and suitable soil. The Print should do away with such buffoons and for the sake of prestige of the paper must engage subject specific experts only. Also pl don’t try to put one against other in the course of inventing an ism.
Comments by Alex are factually and scientifically correct. This articles fails miserably to describe the root of Parali burning. It is nothing to do with the green revolution but is due to paddy and 2 crop cycle . Also paddy is sown close to monsoon onset in Punjab, leaving smaller window for farmers to sow the next crop after paddy harvest. Don’t look for class argument – look for science and facts dear author.
I second your thoughts and arguments.
Rice cultivation in Punjab, Haryana and western UP is the fundamental cause of many issues. Grave issues like cultivable land turning infertile, severe depletion of the water table, excessive consumption of river water by Punjab and Haryana (thereby denying HP and Delhi their rightful share) can all be traced to the practice of rice cultivation.
Historically, rice was never cultivated in this region. It was only with the advent of the Green Revolution that farmers here took to rice cultivation as more profit could be made. Rice requires highly fertile land and an abundant supply of water and therefore is totally unsuitable for this region.
It indeed speaks volumes about the state of Indian academia that people like Mr. Mandal are able to land professorships.
Can you refer to a good source to learn about cropping patterns in Punjab & Haryana? You allege there is a factual error so I would like to know what your source is.
Good analysis, but who will bell the fat cat.
This dilip mandal is the biggest buffoon on the print. His thinking cannot go beyond
his caste and anti-Indian culture bias.
YOU are the casteist buffoon! what sense does it make to drag caste of the author in the discussion? He has a perfectly valid point. Delhi must learn to celebrate Diwali without pollution and must also learn to give up excessive use of cars.
(and no use trying to guess MY caste/religion/gender from my pseudo – you only need google it )
One thing that money can’t buy.. clean air!! Delhites need to wake up and become more responsible citicens