Paddy harvesting and stubble burning has started, and yet again, its effects can already be seen in the air of Punjab, Delhi, and Haryana. Here, 65 cases of stubble burning have come to light, while a total of 415 cases have been recorded this season, with the greatest number of cases being in Amritsar. It is being expected that within 3 weeks or a month now, areas of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP, would have to deal with polluting smog. This year, the crop yield is more in comparison to the last, and therefore, straw is more too.
The Punjab government had claimed that more than 1 lakh stubble-cutting machines were being arranged for, and that bio-decomposers were being distributed among farmers. On the other hand, the companies working for garbage execution have said that no supply chain has been developed in Punjab as far as stubble is concerned. In the state, paddy is sown, on an average, on 75 lakh acres of land, while stubble is burnt on 38 lakh acres of land.
At the same time, Punjab Pollution Control Board Member Secretary, Karunesh Garg has said that it will take 4-5 years from now to find the solution to the stubble issue. During the Kharif season this year, paddy has been sown in an area of 31.13 lakh hectares, which is more in comparison to 2021’s 29.61 lakh hectares. This year, 19.76 million tons of paddy straw was produced, which is again more than the last year.
