Hot question

Stubble burning needs sustainable solutions

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As the National Capital Region (NCR) chokes from the customary lethal post-Diwali pollution, it is noteworthy that stubble burning, the other major cause of bad air as the cooler weather sets in, has not contributed significantly to the high levels of toxicity in the air this year. The early data for the burning of paddy stubble between September 15 and October 15 showed an appreciable drop from last year. Punjab and Haryana, traditional leaders in this practice, saw such incidents drop 64 and 96 per cent, respectively. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh have seen drops of 19-45 per cent. Concurrently, the NCR's air quality in this period has ranged from "moderate" to "satisfactory". State administrations are taking credit for this development, pointing to their energetic efforts to thwart stubble burning through a mixture of incentives, penal threats, and the provision of infrastructure. But the late monsoon withdrawal has delayed harvests, so many farmers are likely to begin clearing their field of paddy stubble in late October and November. The e