Unveiling Truth: Stubble Burning and its Devastating Consequences

 

Once upon a time, in the quaint district of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, lived a young woman named Ramya. This Diwali held a special significance for her, as it marked her first time away from home during the festive season. She embarked on a journey to Delhi, carrying the novel "Fault in Our Stars" as her companion.

Upon arriving in Delhi, an overwhelming feeling of suffocation enveloped Ramya. Despite the warm welcome at Poonam's home, the atmospheric heaviness lingered. Poonam's father, an agricultural professor, astutely recognized Ramya's discomfort and gently probed, "You might have cursed us for this suffocation, haven't you?"

Baffled, Ramya denied any such thoughts. The professor enlightened her, attributing the stifling atmosphere not to the people of Delhi but to the pervasive issue of stubble burning in neighbouring states like Haryana and Punjab. He revealed staggering statistics – for each tonne of stubble burn, approximately 486 Kg of CO2, 1 kg of particulate matter, 20 kilograms of carbon monoxide, 66 kg of ash, and 0.66 kg of SO2 can be mitigated. Scaling the numbers & assuming none of the farmers will burn the paddy stubble in Northern India; we will be able to mitigate 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 69,000 tonnes of particulate matter, 1.3 million tonnes of carbon monoxide, 4.5 million tonnes of ash, and 46,000 tonnes of SO2.

With a deep sense of responsibility instilled by the conversation, Ramya pondered upon solutions. Despite her initial dilemma, her determination to find remedies intensified during her journey back home. Eventually, she discovered a range of potential solutions and eagerly shared them with the professor:

1. In-situ bio-decomposition programs: Government initiatives and enterprises working on decomposing crop residue on-site.

2. Fungi-based decomposition solutions: Testing and utilizing fungi products to rapidly decompose crop residue.

3. Utilizing technology for intervention: Employing farm digitization, mobile apps, and ICT for timely and sustainable agricultural interventions.

4. Encouraging alternative uses of crop residue: Promoting industries to utilize crop residue for creating commercially viable products like paper, baskets, and packaging materials.

5. From a governmental perspective, addressing stubble burning could involve reducing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) provided to all farmers within a village where any farmer engages in stubble burning.

The professor was elated to hear these solutions, acknowledging Ramya's thoughtful suggestions. This interaction left an indelible mark on Ramya. She realized that the fault wasn't in the stars but in human actions, emphasizing the need for proactive change.

Days turned into weeks, and Ramya's proactive spirit persisted. Her texted solutions sparked discussions and initiatives within communities and academic circles. It reinforced her belief that individual efforts, when amplified collectively, could drive significant change.

In the end, Ramya learned a valuable lesson – to be the change she wished to see in the world. Her journey from Kakinada to Delhi and back wasn't merely a physical one but a transformative experience, igniting a flame of environmental consciousness and advocacy within her soul.