News in brief: India is committed to end crop burning to reduce air pollution, particularly in northern states, as part of a resolution by the Agriculture and Environment ministries. The burning of crop residue contributes significantly to air pollution, impacting soil fertility and causing health issues, making it a major concern for the country.
India has stated its commitment to ending crop burning this year and reduce air pollution, according to media reports quoting government sources.
The decision is part of a resolution reached at a review meeting of the countryâs Agriculture and Environment ministry officials on preventing pollution during the winter months.
Post harvest crop burning is prevalent in the northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Farmers do this to clear fields before sowing winter crops later.
However, the smoke from burning crops is a major source of air pollution, and traffic pollution and falling wind speeds make the situation more severe. Experts agree that these factors are causative agents for the infamous Delhi smog.
Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, noted the impact of stubble burning include soil health damage, consequently reducing soil fertility. He expressed optimism in reducing incidences of crop burning as awareness has reduced it over the last five years.
Most Indian provinces provide crop residue management machinery to farmers before the harvest season and monitor bio-decomposers usage. Efforts to reduce burning have also included the using straw from paddy fields for commercial purposes, which were hitherto burnt.
Delhi residents have reported increasing respiratory infections with drop in temperatures forcing authorities to close schools and ban construction activities in a bid to check pollution. The city witnesses flight cancellations and traffic accidents caused by smog, which is even turning the white marble walls of the Taj Mahal to yellow and green.
India is the third-most polluted country in the world and it contains 21 of the 30 most polluted cities. Kanpurr is the most polluted city in India, where the city’s medical college receives about 600 respiratory illness patients per month.
People in rural India, who rely on fuels such as wood and dung for cooking and heating, and burn crop stubble, heavily pollute the area.
