Stubble-burning in U.P. drops by 46% in last 7 yrs: Govt

Stubble-burning incidents in Uttar Pradesh have decreased by 46% in the last seven years, a government spokesman claimed here on Wednesday, adding that stubble-burning cases in the state fell from 8,784 in 2017 to 3,996 in 2023, marking a significant decline.
“The government’s initiative focused on educating farmers on the harmful effects of burning stubble and encouraging them to adopt composting or sow wheat directly into the stubble using seed drills,” he said.
The awareness campaign for farmers continues this season, with the government also supplying 7.5 bio-decomposers for on-field stubble composting. One bottle of decomposer is sufficient to compost stubble in one acre of farmland. Additionally, the government has imposed a fine of ₹15,000 for stubble-burning.
“Research shows that the leftover stalks contain 0.5% nitrogen, 0.6% phosphorus, and 1.5% potash. If these residues are composted in the field instead of being burned, the soil absorbs these nutrients, reducing the need for fertilisers by up to 25% for the next crop, the spokesman said.
He said that a study by the Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group found that burning stubble in just one acre leads to the loss of 400 kg of valuable carbon, along with 10-40 crore beneficial bacteria and 1-2 lakh fungi per gram of soil.