Lok Sabha Question No. 4521 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Pollution from Stubble Burning
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Veena Devi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4521

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2020

## Pollution from Stubble Burning

## 4521. SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study to find out the adverse effects of burning of crop residue by farmers on air pollution and human health;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the air quality and pollutants in atmosphere reached dangerous levels due to stubble  burning  in  most  of  the  States  of  Northern  India  including  Delhi,  Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has provided or proposes to provide incentives to farmers for safe disposal of crop residue and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

(a)& (b) The Central Pollution Control Board has awarded a study to The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI). The objective of the study is to quantify the adverse effect of poor air quality due to crop burning, in close proximity to residential areas, on respiratory health.

Another  study  has  been  awarded  to  National  Environmental  Engineering  Research Institute  (NEERI)  &  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  (IIT)  Bombay  with  an  objective  to understand  the  reasons  of  air  quality  degradation  in  Delhi  with  focus  on  transport  of pollutants,  mainly  particulate  matter  from  the  agricultural  stubble  burning  in  the  States  of Haryana and Punjab, using measurements, modeling and satellite information.

- (c)     As per, SAFAR portal (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune) the stubble burning was estimated to have contributed  to  the  pollution  levels  between  2%  to  44%  for  PM2.5  levels  in  Delhi  during October- November 2019. However, the estimated contribution was30% more only for 3 days during the period.

(d)  &  (e)  In  order  to  control  stubble  burning,  Central  Sector  Scheme  on  'Promotion  of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi' is being administered by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, with outgo of Central funds of Rs. 1178.47 crore during 2018-2020. This scheme is to continue in 2020-21, with a tentative budgetary provision of Rs. 600 crores (100%  Central  grants).  Further,  the  Government  of  Punjab  has  a  scheme  for  providing compensation  @  Rs.  100/-per  quintal  to  those  small  and  marginal  farmers  who  cultivated non-basmati paddy and  managed the paddy residue in-situ without burning. The Government of  Haryana  scheme  provide  Rs.  1000/-per  acre  operational  charges  for  crop  residue management for in-situ and ex-situ  purposes.  In  addition,  the  Government  of Haryana  has provided  Rs.  100  per  quintal  incentive  to  those  farmers  who  sold  their  paddy  between 06.11.2019 to 15.11.2019 and did not burn the crop residue. The Governments of Punjab and Haryana have paid Rs 22.45 crore and Rs3.02 crore, respectively to farmers in Punjab and Haryana.

A reduction of about 18.8% and 31% in active fire incidents in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh has been recorded in 2019 over the figures for 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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