Mentors Comments:
- 1. Introduce with the events happening in Punjab and Haryana at present
- 2. Give reasons on why farmers burn stubble without adopting any technologies
- 3. Provide alternatives to such practices
- 4. Conclude by emphasizing the need for sustainable agriculture practices
Answer:
Stubble burning is a post-harvest practice used to clear fields of paddy crop residue by burning them. This practice mostly carried out in Punjab, Haryana and UP contributes solely to the grave winter pollution in the national capital.
Reasons for continuing stubble burning by farmers-
- Stubble burning is a common practice followed by farmers to prepare the field for sowing of wheat in November as there is little time left between the harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat.
- Burning Rice straw and wheat residue is not necessary for the farmers because of the availability of technology and its higher economic value as dry fodder.
- Even though farmers are aware that the burning of straw is harmful to health, they do not have alternatives for utilizing them effectively.
- The farmers are ill-equipped to deal with waste because they cannot afford the new technology that is available to handle the waste material.
- Experts say that with less income due to crop damage, farmers are likely to be inclined to light up their fields to cut costs and not spend on scientific ways of stubble management.
- It costs Rs 1,500-3,000 per acre for stubble management, depending on the equipment and method.
Alternative solutions that can avoid Stubble Burning:
- The available paddy straw can be effectively used for power generation, which will go a long way towards overcoming the problem of disposal of crop residues and power deficit in the region.
- Suitable machinery for collection, chopping and in situ incorporation of straw is required.
- There is great potential for making investments in paddy straw-based power plants which can help avoid stubble burning to a large extent and also create employment opportunities.
- Incorporation of crop residues in the soil can improve soil moisture and help activate the growth of soil microorganisms for better plant growth.
- Convert the removed residues into enriched organic manure through composting.
- New opportunities for industrial use such as extraction of yeast protein can be explored through scientific research.
- The 2014 national policy envisages the adoption of technical measures, including diversified uses of crop residue, capacity building, and training along with the formulation of suitable legislation, to deal with the issue of disposing of stubble.
- Unless Financial assistance is to be provided by the Centre for boosting farm mechanization, it is difficult to completely stop stubble burning.
- States need to make alternative arrangements for the consumption of paddy straw into the soil as per the directions of the NGT.
What More Should Be Done:
- There is also a need to develop rice varieties that are both rich in grain yield and high in straw quality.
- The use of such dual-purpose rice varieties will help to maintain food security, farm income and improve environmental sustainability.
- There needs to be a proactive engagement to both persuade and reassure farmers.
- The greater availability of machines and the zero-tolerance policy need to be seen as works in progress to derive lessons on how to refine the crop-clearing process in an ecologically sound manner.
- Promoting indigenous research and science, incentivizing pulses production, and rationalizing pricing more broadly. Converting crises into opportunities is the hallmark of good public policy
It is important to diagnose and address the fundamental problems that force the farmers to burn the paddy straw on the field and not utilize it for any productive purpose.
Comments
34 responses to “Why do farmers burn stubble, despite severe pollution? What steps can be taken to reduce stubble burning and the pollution that follows? (15 Marks)”
MOJO9828N00A10807750
The overall discussion is quite good.
A very good intro.
The answer has good depth and coverage.
Very good structuring
But work on your presentation.
With this handwriting, you have to make sure that your points and presentation are clear.
Underline imp stuff in your answers.
Good conclusion.
Sir,
Ans
The answer lacks depth.
It is a 15 marks question hence your points should reflect this.
The overall content needs more points in each subheading.
Read the model answer for those extra talking points.
The presentation and explanation in your answer are decent
MOJO9b04X00D25275001
The points in the way forwards are repetitive.
Avoid it.
The overall content needs more points and a better explanation. Right now they are general in nature.
Good structure.
Work on your presentation
Payment id : MOJ09a31D00D58068663
please review
Good answer.
Your coverage is OK.
The presentation is good.
But write on plain paper to get a better idea of allignment in the real exam.
Good discussion overall.
Way forwards are very good.
MOJO9a02U00D28381180
Avoid bullet pints in your intro.
Good content.
But do discuss the agricultural reasons like gap between two crops, lack of moisture, shifting of sowing season, etc.
The way forward is good.
The overall direction is good and decent structuring.
MOJO9b02200D52463423
Write better and a little bit more detailed intro.
The overall discussion is OK.
Good structure.
The presentation needs improvement.
The explanation is fine.
Some of the points stand repetitive.
Please Review…My payment id: MOJO9a31400N58094558
Very large intro. Avoid it.
Good content.
The placement of it are decent.
Decent presentation.
Good way forwards.
Please review MOJO9b05300A74622986
Apart from the way forward, everything else in the answer is very good.
The main body of the answer is discussed nicely.
The content in it is quite deep and well explained.
The overall direction and flow are very good.
But the way forward needs more content.
Read the model answer for more talking points.
Good presentation
MOJO9930Q00N64198657
Good intro.
Again a very detailed answer.
But do underline imp points.
Also, do use flowcharts or diagrams to make sure your answers do not get monotonous.
The overall coverage is quite decent.
Points are well placed and informative.
Language is very good
MOJO9a31K00N58111047
The intro is good.
But the 1st part lacks depth and proper content.
It is general in nature.
Discuss the agricultural reasons like gap between two crops, lack of moisture, shifting of sowing season, etc.
The way forwards are good though.
Underline imp stuff in your answers
MOJO9a31100A58098507
Good answer.
The points discussed are decent and well-directed.
The overall structure is quite decent.
Points are informative and well explained.
Also, do use flowcharts or diagrams to make sure your answers do not get monotonous.
Good 2nd part of the answer
ID
MOJO9b01C00A90817216
Underline key points in your answer.
Apart from that, there is nothing wrong with your attempt.
The overall discussion is very good.
Good use of flowchart in the 1st part.
The 2nd part is informative and exhaustive.
The good thing is that nothing in the answer has been over-explained.
MOJO9b03K00A07920521
Good intro.
But the 1st part lacks depth and proper content.
It is general in nature.
Discuss the agricultural reasons like gap between two crops, lack of moisture, shifting of sowing season, etc.
The way forward is good though.
Underline imp stuff in your answers
Payment ID:MOJO9b01O00A90839766
Please review
Avoid subheadings for the conclusion.
Apart from that, a very good answer.
Your answer has multiple good points in both parts.
The coverage is very good.
Good that you mentioned the Punjab Law of conserving water.
The overall structure is very good.
MOJO9903H00A58015579
A very good discussion, in the 1st part.
The content is rich and perfect in terms of subheadings it covered.
Good explanation and language.
The overall structuring is very good.
The presentation is also fine.
But the 2nd part needs to the point discussion.
No need to discuss vehicular emission or waste pollution.
The question is regarding the stubble burning the pollution that follows. hence your way forwards should only focus on the stubble burning issue.
MOJO9b04S00N25297271. Please review
MOJO9b04S00N25297271.
Good that you discussed the Chattisgarh model. These little points add value to your content which will help you in gaining good marks.
The overall content is decent.
It has covered all the major talking point,s
The structure is decent and language perfect.
Good presentation