Why is it in news?
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Between September 27 and October 14, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) imposed Rs 8,92,500 as fines.
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Or “environmental compensation cess” as it is officially called ”” on farmers burning paddy stubble.
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However, they collected only Rs 3,05,000, according to figures from the organisation.
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The Centre and the States Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have in several meetings through the year declared a “zero tolerance” policy on the burning of stubble for farmers.
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But which according to various studies, contributes anywhere from 17% to 78% to the particulate matter-emission load in the city during winter.
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To discourage farmers in Punjab and Haryana the government has also disbursed ₹591 crore to these States to sell subsidised farm implements that can do away with stubble without having to burn them.
What are failures?
- Despite a vigorous focus by governments on making mechanised farm implements :
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combine harvesters-cum-straw management system,
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seed drillers,
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rotary harvesters ”” available to farmers
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it’s still inaccessible to many farmers with landholdings less than 5 acres or those not rich enough to invest in such machines.
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These machines, at best, can harvest 10 acres a day.
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There are only three or four machines available (for a variety of tasks from cutting the straw, planting wheat, baling the straw).
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That works out to 120 days for managing the fields.
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However, farmers have barely two months between mid-September and mid-November to clear out the field.
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This year, delayed rains have shrunk the window further and different regions in Punjab have different harvesting times, in keeping with subtle weather differences.
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In many cases there is no option but to burn because it’s quick and cheap.
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Then there’s the spike in diesel prices.
Source
The Hindu