Opinion In SC’s directive to end stubble burning, a message about long-term solutions

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court used strong words while asking Delhi’s neighbouring states, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, to take immediate action against stubble burning. The two judge-bench was particularly harsh on Punjab, which continues to be the major source of pollution from crop residue burning. “Residents of Delhi have been struggling with health issues because they don’t seem to find a solution year after year to the aggravated problem of pollution. This has been an ongoing process for five years. It is time that something is done,” the bench said. It directed the state governments to “ensure that crop burning is stopped immediately”. That might be easier said than done. But the Court’s reprimand could inject much-needed urgency to address an issue whose complexities often get lost in the blame games that have become a yearly ritual. The bench told the Punjab government that “the fight against stubble burning cannot be political” and reminded it that the problem should be seen from the perspectives of public health, ecology and sustainable agriculture. The bench’s directive to frame long-term solutions should not be lost on policymakers.

The past two years’ data show an appreciable decline in crop residue burning in Haryana and UP. Farm fires have come down in Punjab as well, but they remain one of the major contributors to the cocktail of toxins in north India’s air. It’s well known that the problem owes, in large measure, to heavily subsidised electricity that enables farmers to grow water-guzzling paddy. The SC reiterated the need to change farm practices and also called for the Centre’s intervention. Paddy cultivation must be phased out to be substituted with other crops and the Central government should explore the aspect of giving minimum support price for alternative crops rather than going for paddy,” it said. This requires reaching out to the agriculturists on multiple fronts, including running information drives and providing financial incentives. Farmers will not burn the crop residue if they are offered ways to derive profits from waste. Haryana’s example is illustrative. Waste-to-energy plants in the state turn crop residue into biofuels and offer a sustainable alternative to stubble burning. Such units dot parts of Punjab as well, but the state clearly has to do much more.

Advertisement

The court has also Delhi Pollution Control Committee to release real-time data on pollution from different sources. This is an important intervention. Addressing the capital’s pollution problems requires drawing a variety of real-time links — wind speeds, particulate matter spewed from tailpipes, industrial emissions, construction dust and toxins dispersed from other states, including from farm fires. This exercise must also be a part of the pollution control arsenal next week when the Delhi government implements the odd-even scheme. North India’s tryst with poor air this year should pave the way for sustainable solutions.