It is a case study presentation based on the Stubble burning in Punjab and pollution in Delhi NCR. We had to suggest alternative ways to curb stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

1. Saksham- Case Study
Stubble burning in Punjab and
pollution in NCR
Members:
1) Samruddhi Katarki- 1st year, PGDM Finance
2) Shubhra Sharma -1st year, PGDM Finance

2. The Problem
With smog choking the capital city, there arises an urgent need to deal
with the issue of stubble burning by farmers in nearby states.
Every year Punjab generates about 19.7 million tones of paddy straw on
30 lakh hectares of agricultural land
How can this issue be resolved?
First lets analyze the problem…
What is stubble burning?
• It is the act of removing paddy crop residue
• While harvesting the machine doesn’t cut close enough to the ground
leaving stubble behind.
• The quickest and cheapest solution for the farmer to remove this
useless stubble is by burning it.

3. A Pan India phenomenon
The practice has spread to other states in the country.

4. Business solution analysed
Crop residues can be used in
• Power generation
• Incorporation method
• Bedding material for cattle

5. Power generation
• The first step to curb the problem is to find methods to dispose the
stubble.
• Power generation from the biomass generated by stubble is an
option which needs to be viewed.
• Biomass based power plant of 10-20MW can be set up in a group of
village or taluka, it can meet the energy demands of the village and
also provide employment to villagers.
• Punjab has already set up power generation plant which uses rice
stubble to generate up to 12 MW of power using 120000 tonnes of
stubble collected from the farmer.
• The project is yet to achieve the scale at which they will consume
the available crop residue.

6. Power generation
• The main hindrance to this is lack of decentralized procurement and
collection mechanism to send collected stubble to the plants.
• No farmer has the incentive to collect the crop residue.
• The research by Environment Protection Dept. suggests that
growers who are burning their residue will need some form of
incentive to move them towards rice residue incorporation, which is
the next best alternative.
• It will be good to have a mechanism in place to give carbon credits
(incentives) to farmers, who are not burning stubble and recycling it
back to the soil.

7. Incorporation method
• Stubble is an organic matter.
• Incorporation method involves using this organic stubble as soil
fertilizer and putting it back in soil.
• Farmers can install a straw management system in combined
harvester machines.
• The straw management system cuts and mulches the leftover crop
into the same field.
• The straw is then either chopped, spread on the field and ploughed
back in or baled for bedding and limited-feed for livestock.
• The Punjab pollution control board estimates ploughing the stubble
back into the soil would cost Rs 700 extra for labour, this will reduce
the fertilizers to Rs 1000 per acre and thereby increasing the
productivity by 1 quintal per acre and yielding a benefit of Rs 1600
per year.

8. A typical threshing process with straw
harvesters
Image Source : Wikepedia

9. Bedding Material for Cattle
• The farmers can use paddy straw as bedding material for cross bred
cows during winters as per results of a study conducted by the
Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of
Veterinary Sciences, Punjab Agricultural University.
• The paddy straw bedding during winter helps in improving the quality
and quantity of milk as it contributes to animals’ comfort, udder health
and leg health.
• It also provides clean, hygienic, dry, comfortable and non-slippery
environment, which prevents the chances of injury and lameness

10. References
• Down to earth magazine :
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/
• Springer Journal: https://link.springer.com/
• Rice Extension : https://ret.sunrice.com.au
• Agriculture Punjab : http://agripb.gov.in/
• Wikipedia
• Rice Straw management :
http://www.ipni.net/publication/bci.nsf/0/163087B956D
0EFF485257BBA006531E8/$FILE/Better%20Crops%20Int
ernational%202002-3%20p07.pdf