Pawan Guru-Stubble Burning issue

Location: Punjab, Haryana

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana generates atmospheric environment load that far exceeds its capacity to assimilate naturally-emitting traces of carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide and particulates which affect human health. The state and central governments have taken a slew of measures to stop paddy straw burning, and while there has been some reduction, the problem largely remains. A study labelled Pawan Guru was instituted by C-SAFE for the purpose of understanding the perspective of farmers, their experience and their views about various technologies that are available.

The broad objective of the market research study was to explore the issue of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana in depth and suggest ways to address it. This study has given us valuable insights to the problem ranging from creation of awareness to the suitability of technologies to the challenges in implementation and the interventions necessary to facilitate deployment on a large scale. An initial pilot was conducted in the last rabi season in Sangrur which gave us some positive outcome but more importantly, some valuable field level learning. It is now planned to study the ex-situ issues and then pilot a comprehensive intervention deploying the learning on both in-situ and ex-situ matters, in Rabi 2021.