Farmers in India's Punjab recycle crop waste, aim to reduce pollution

In a crucial move to combat the worsening air quality that chokes India's capital, New Delhi, a growing number of farmers in the neighboring northern state of Punjab are choosing sustainable alternatives over fire. Instead of the traditional practice of torching their fields, these farmers are now efficiently packing off crop stubble to factories for recycling.

🌬️ The Stubble Burning Crisis The annual ritual of stubble burning every winter is a major factor in New Delhi repeatedly ranking among the world's most polluted cities. The smoke generated from clearing fields, primarily between the harvesting of rice and the sowing of wheat in early to mid-November, combines with vehicle exhaust and dust. This toxic cocktail remains trapped in the atmosphere due to slow wind speeds and lower temperatures, dramatically spiking the Air Quality Index (AQI). Last week, New Delhi's AQI hovered around 400, a "severe" category reading, which forces authorities to impose strict curbs on construction and industrial activity.

♻️ Recycling for a Cleaner Future A positive shift is underway in over 800 villages across Punjab. Farmers are increasingly adapting to the use of balers—machinery that stacks the stubble for transport. This collected stubble is then sent to factories where it is ingeniously transformed into valuable commodities such as biogas, bio-fertilizer, and cardboard, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) group.

Farmer Dalbir Singh, 25, from Balwar Kalan village of Sangrur district, articulated the motivation: "Due to stubble burning, we are exposed to smoke... It's not an exciting activity for us, that’s why we are stocking it and sending it to boilers to be sold." This sentiment reflects a growing recognition that the quickest method is often the most detrimental to health and the environment.

💡 Innovation and Economic Incentive The move is not just about environmental responsibility; it's also fueling new economic opportunities. Gurnaib Singh, a 53-year-old farmer from Phaguwala village of Sangrur, has gone a step further by setting up his own factory to create cardboard from waste stubble. This initiative is not only helping to keep the air clean but is also providing employment to dozens at his plant, demonstrating how environmental solutions can go hand-in-hand with rural livelihood.

🚧 The Road Ahead While this recycling movement is encouraging, the scale of the challenge remains immense. Punjab has approximately 12,000 villages, and stubble burning is also prevalent in other northern states.

Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, a New Delhi-based think tank, commented on the current efforts: "While this has led to some reduction in stubble burning, the incentivisation and awareness of such initiatives is still limited compared to the intensity of response needed to tackle the problem in a comprehensive way."

The CII is actively supporting the initiative by providing necessary equipment and resources. However, greater governmental and corporate support, alongside increased farmer awareness, will be essential to ensure that this sustainable switch, which Reuters covers in-depth in its Sustainable Switch newsletter, can comprehensively address the region's severe air pollution crisis. The actions of these pioneering Punjab farmers offer a breath of fresh air and a model for sustainable agricultural practices across India.