Скачать или смотреть What is Stubble Burning? UPSC EXAM RELEVANCE

Stubble burning is the deliberate setting fire to leftover paddy or wheat straw after harvest to quickly clear fields for the next crop cycle.
It is most prevalent in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, coinciding with the post-harvest period of kharif paddy (October–November).

Scientifically, this leads to the release of particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10), carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxide, aggravating air pollution across the Indo-Gangetic plain.

2. Why Farmers Do It — and Its Link to Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare

Despite awareness campaigns and penalties, many farmers still resort to burning due to:

Economic compulsion: Removing residue manually or with machinery (Happy Seeder, Super SMS) costs ₹2,000–₹3,000 per acre.

Time pressure: Only a 15–20 day window between harvesting paddy and sowing wheat.

Lack of viable alternatives: Limited reach of crop residue management (CRM) schemes and inadequate bio-decomposer usage.

Policy-technology mismatch: Incentives are delayed, and institutional support for residue collection is weak.

From a welfare lens, this shows how environmental responsibility cannot precede economic security. The transition must be incentive-led, not penalty-led.

3. What the Data Says

743 cases of stubble burning between Sept 15–Oct 26, 2025 (PPCB).

122 cases in a single day — the highest of the season.

31.72 lakh hectares under paddy; 56.5% harvested so far.

266 FIRs filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

₹16.8 lakh fines imposed; 296 “red entries” in land records (for habitual offenders).

70% drop in farm fire cases vs 2023 — but pollution impact persists due to weather and wind flow stagnation.

4. Prelims Relevance

Static–Dynamic Integration:

Policies: National Policy for Management of Crop Residues (2014); CAQM (statutory body).

Schemes:

Crop Residue Management (CRM) Scheme under DACFW

PUSA Bio-Decomposer (ICAR innovation)

Central Sector Scheme on Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization

Acts: Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Concept Focus: Agro-based pollution, sustainable farming, and resource-use efficiency.

PYQ Link (Prelims 2020):

“Consider the following statements regarding stubble burning in north India…”

Expect a repeat under the “Environment–Agriculture linkage” theme.

5. Mains Relevance (GS3)

Key Question:
“Why has stubble burning persisted despite legal and technological interventions? Evaluate the role of behavioural economics and governance design in addressing it.”

Answer Outline:

Intro: Stubble burning mirrors the gap between policy design and farmer pragmatism.

Causes: Cost, time, institutional fragmentation, and lack of awareness.

Consequences: Air pollution, soil nutrient loss, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Solutions:

Decentralized composting & biomass-based energy generation.

Farmer producer organization (FPO)-based machinery banks.

Timely compensation and performance-based rewards to Panchayats.

Behavioural nudges and participatory enforcement instead of pure penalization.

Conclusion:
Environmental sustainability in agriculture must be built on economic logic, not administrative fear.

6. Current Relevance (2025)

Punjab’s 2025 spike underlines India’s struggle to meet National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) targets.

Section 223 (BNS) used for farm-fire offences for the first time.

CAQM has begun real-time satellite mapping of fire incidents using ISRO data.

Policy takeaway for aspirants: Coordination failure between Centre–State, poor ground-level institutional capacity, and weak incentive architecture remain India’s core governance bottlenecks.

TANTRA IAS – INSIGHT NOTE

“Farmers don’t burn fields because they want to pollute; they burn because governance hasn’t yet offered them an affordable alternative.”