As cities across North India struggle to breathe, the Air Quality Index (AQI) paints a grim picture. Delhi, the nation’s capital, frequently records AQI levels breaching the 500-mark during peak winter seasons.
Such readings fall into the “hazardous” category, posing severe risks to human health. Behind these alarming statistics lies a practice deeply embedded in India’s agricultural traditions: stubble burning alongside vehicular emissions, construction, and air pollution.
Picture this: After harvest, farmers are left with piles of leftover crop stalks. With limited time before the next planting season and few affordable options, they often burn the fields. Thick, toxic smoke spreads, choking cities and villages.
A National Crisis with Global Implications
In 2023, India recorded over 75,000 incidents of crop residue burning, significantly increasing harmful fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels, particularly in northern states.
The World Bank estimates that air pollution costs India $36.8 billion annually in health-related expenses and lost productivity, while also contributing to a decrease in life expectancy, particularly in heavily polluted areas. While stubble burning has historically been concentrated in states like Punjab and Haryana, some other states have now emerged as a new hotspot.
Madhya Pradesh, a leading agricultural state producing 15% of India’s wheat, generates a staggering 33 million tonnes of crop residue annually, of which 3.86 million tonnes are burned on farms. In 2024, the state witnessed a sharp rise in farm fires, logging over 18,000 incidents, competing with Punjab and Haryana.
Economies of Paddy Cultivation in India
Paddy cultivation, a water-intensive crop, has become a central issue in this environmental crisis. On an average, India’s paddy productivity is 34.20 quintals per hectare. For the 2024-25 season, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for common paddy has been set at Rs 2300 per quintal, while estimated cost of production is pegged at Rs 76,449 per hectare.
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) estimates that producing 1 kilogram of paddy requires 1,432 litres of water, meaning that a hectare demands over 4.9 million litres of water.
To irrigate one hectare of paddy over 90 days (assuming an average tubewell depth of 200 feet), a typical 5 HP pump will consume approximately 1,350 units of electricity. With an energy cost of Rs 7 per unit borne by distribution companies (as farmers pay negligible amounts due to state subsidies), the fiscal strain on the government for each hectare is Rs 10,000 for irrigation alone.
Despite these inputs, farmers see minimal financial returns. At an MSP of Rs 2,300 per quintal, gross earnings per hectare amount to Rs 78,660. After deducting the production cost of Rs 76,449, the net profit is a mere Rs 2,211 per hectare.
This economic model places farmers under financial duress while compounding environmental degradation through excessive water consumption and harmful practices like stubble burning. Addressing this issue requires a fundamental shift—one that encourages and incentivizes farmers to transition away from paddy cultivation toward more sustainable and profitable alternatives.
Why do traditional solutions fall short?
Several alternative methods have been proposed to mitigate stubble burning, but they come with their own set of challenges. One such method involves bailing the stubble and mixing it with cow dung to produce organic manure.
Another option is to convert the stubble into briquettes, which can be used as fuel in thermal power plants. Additionally, hand-cutting the paddy crop can minimize the amount of stubble generated, with the remaining parts used as fodder for livestock.
But none of these have found favour with farmers as they see little or no additional incentive to adapt to new practices. These practical challenges underscore the need for a more comprehensive, technology-driven approach.
The Farmer-Centric GIS-Driven Solution
To tackle the issue of stubble burning, an innovative GIS-based strategy is being proposed to incentivize farmers to transition away from water-intensive crops like paddy. This farmer-centric approach integrates cutting-edge technology to promote sustainable agricultural practices and support farmers effectively.
Key Components of the GIS-Driven Solution
- Mapping Paddy Cultivation Lands: Using GIS technology, the government will map agricultural lands where paddy was cultivated in previous year, forming the foundation for targeted interventions.
- Satellite Monitoring: Satellites equipped with high-resolution sensors will monitor agricultural activities in real time. This ensures timely verification of fields avoiding paddy cultivation in coming years and facilitates the accurate distribution of incentives to farmers.
- Hotspot Identification and Mapping: GIS tools will then identify and map areas where farmers have shifted to alternative crops. These insights will enable the government to focus its support on regions adopting sustainable practices.
- Ground-Level Verification: Ground-truthing, through drones or other technologies, will validate GIS data to ensure accurate mapping of non-paddy cultivation areas.
- Direct Farmer Incentives: Farmers identified through GIS and satellite imagery as avoiding paddy cultivation and stubble burning will receive direct financial compensation which will be less than electricity subsidy but more than earnings per hectare, encouraging a long-term shift toward sustainable farming. This approach ensures consistent incentives while actively encouraging more farmers to participate in this GIS mapping program, thereby promoting widespread adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and reducing environmental impact over time.
- Impact Analysis and Decision Support: GIS will provide detailed insights into the success of the initiative, including the scale, intensity, and geographical distribution of non-paddy cultivation.
Integrating GIS technology into the stubble-burning mitigation strategy benefits all stakeholders, environment, farmers and state governments. By identifying burning hotspots and promoting sustainable alternatives, this approach will reduce the carbon footprint, conserve water, and empower farmers with viable, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional practices.
By reducing stubble burning and encouraging the shift from water-intensive crops like paddy, the government can lower its spending on water management and electricity generation. For farmers, this approach will offer immediate financial relief and long-term benefits. This approach also aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and will help in achieving ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework compliance.
Towards a Cleaner, Greener Future
The stubble-burning crisis in India is a national challenge with global implications. The GIS powered strategy represents a transformative step, blending technology with policy to balance environmental protection and agricultural productivity.
The state also sets an example for collaborative action, inviting partnerships from industries, research institutions, and global organizations. Together, we can reimagine agriculture as a sustainable coexistence with nature—ensuring cleaner air, healthier soil, and empowered farmers for generations to come.
(The author is Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Madhya Pradesh; Views are personal)
