1.

Global warming and greenhouse effect

Due to the existence of certain gases, the troposphere, the lowermost layer of the atmosphere,
naturally retains heat. This phenomenon is known as the "Greenhouse Effect" because it is
comparable to the warming effect seen in a glass greenhouse used for horticulture. The amount
of heat trapped in the atmosphere depends mostly on the concentrations of “heat trapping” or
“greenhouse” gases and the length of time they stay in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, ozone,
methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and water vapour are the main greenhouse
gases. The earth's temperature is 15 °C on average. This temperature would have been -18°C if
greenhouse gases hadn't been there. Thus, the greenhouse effect is responsible for a 33°C
increase in temperature.
Greenhouse gases
The phenomenon that worries environmental scientists is that because of human activity, there is
an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the air, which absorb infrared light
carrying heat and cause the re-radiation of even more of the outgoing thermal infrared energy,
raising the average surface temperature above 15°C. To distinguish it from the effect that has
existed naturally for ages, the phenomenon is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect. These
gases are:
1. Carbon dioxide: It makes up around 55% of the greenhouse gases created by human
activities that cause global warming. Burning fossil fuels (67%) and other types of land
destruction and burning (33%) are the primary causes of global warming.
2. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): 24 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by
humans are thought to be caused by Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They also reduce the
stratospheric ozone layer. The primary sources of CFCs include refrigerators and air conditioners
that leak, industrial solvents that evaporate, and the manufacture of plastic foams, aerosols,
propellants, etc.
3. Methane: It is responsible for 18% of the rise in greenhouse emissions. In regions that are
damp but devoid of oxygen, such as swamps, marshes, paddy fields, landfills, and the digestive
systems of cattle, sheep, and termites, microorganisms decompose dead organic matter to
generate methane. Methane is also produced and used in natural gas and oil production, as well
as when organic material is burned partially.
4. Nitrous oxide: It accounts for 6% of greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans. Along
with trapping heat in the troposphere, it also depletes the stratosphere's ozone layer. It is released
through the breakdown of nitrogen fertilisers in soil, livestock manure, and nitrate-contaminated
groundwater, as well as by the combustion of biomass and nitrogen-rich fuels (particularly coal).

Fig. Greenhouse effect

Greenhouse Emissions are caused due to
Rapid Industrialization
Population Explosion
Depletion Of Natural Resources
Natural Phenomena
Modification Of Ecosystems
Impacts of green house effect
In addition to contributing to global warming, the increased greenhouse effect will also have an
impact on a number of other climatic and ecological phenomena.
(i) Rise in global temperatures If greenhouse gas intake rises at the current rate, the earth's mean
temperature is predicted to rise by 1.5 to 5.5°C by 2050. Earth would be warmer than it has been
in 10,000 years, even at the lowest figure.
(ii) Sea level rise: Sea water will expand as the world's temperature rises. The polar ice sheets
and glaciers will melt as a result of heating, causing the sea level to rise even higher.
(iii) Effects on human health: Global warming will disrupt many regions' rainfall patterns, which
will have an impact on where vector-borne illnesses like malaria, filariasis, elephantiasis, etc. are
spread.
There will be increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves
(iv) Impacts on agriculture: it could have either detrimental impacts on different kinds of crops.
Preventive measures
The following actions will be crucial to halting accelerated global warming:
(i) Reduce the existing level of CFC and fossil fuel consumption.
(ii) Make better use of energy.
(iii)Change to renewable energy sources.
(iv) Increase the number of nuclear power facilities that generate energy.
(v)Change from coal to natural gas
(vi) Capture methane and utilise it as fuel.
(vii)Reduce the production of meat.
(viii) Adopt sustainable farming practises.
(ix) Control population expansion.
(x) Remove CO2 from smoke stacks effectively.
(xi)Plant more trees.
(xii) Use photosynthetic algae to reduce atmospheric CO2.
2. Climate change
It is defined as an identifiable change in the climate of Earth as a whole that lasts for an extended
period of time (decades or longer)
– When due to natural processes, it is usually referred to as global climate variability
– Usually refers to changes forced by human activities that change the atmosphere
Impact of global climate change
 Fig. Climate change
• Warming and sea level rise will continue and will probably occur more quickly than what
we’ve already seen
• Even if greenhouse gases are stabilized, this will probably continue to occur for centuries
• Effects on Ecosystems
– Coral systems and other unique ecosystems cannot handle higher temperatures
well
– Wildfires will increase
– Up to 30% of species will be at increased risk for extinction due to the rapid
changes in their ecosystems
• Effects in North America
– Warming in western mountains: several effects
– Increased rain: will actually help some crops
– Heat waves will increase in number, length, and intensity
– Coastal communities will be affected by increased flooding and storms
Prevention and control of global warming
• Mitigation of global warming involves taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and to enhance sinks aimed at reducing the extent of global warming.
• This is in distinction to adaptation to global warming which involves taking action to
minimize the effects of global warming. These are:
1. Energy efficiency and conservation: Use of passive solar building design, low-energy
building, or zero-energy building techniques, using renewable heat sources. Use of
electric vehicles, mass transport and increased use of alternative energy resources.
2. Seeding the oceans with iron will increase phytoplankton populations, and thereby draw
more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (carbon sequestration).
3. Policies by Governments like Kyoto Protocol, Carbon emissions trading, carbon credit
and Carbon tax can control emission of carbon dioxide in countries.
4. Increased plantation across the globe will help in more capturing of carbon dioxide by the
plants.

3. Acid rain
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic
components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or
dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.
How is it formed:
Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the
atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO 2 and NOX react with water, oxygen
and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other
materials before falling to the ground. While a small portion of the SO 2 and NOX that cause acid
rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels.
The major sources of SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are:

 Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO2 and one fourth of
NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
 Vehicles and heavy equipment.

 Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.

Winds can blow SO2 and NOX over long distances and across borders making acid rain a
problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these sources. The reactions are:

2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 2H2SO4 (aq)

4NO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 4HNO3 (aq)

Fig. Acid rain

Harmful impacts of Acid rain
 Effect on the soil
1. The exchange of hydrogen ions with nutrient cations like potassium and magnesium
causes nutrients to leak out of the soil. This makes the soil less fertile.
2. The breathing of soil organisms slows down at the same time.
3. Due to a drop in other nutrients, the amount of ammonia in the soil is going up, which
slows down the rate of decomposition. Nitrate levels in the soil are also going down.
 Effects on animal life
1. Aid rain has a number of direct and indirect effects on the ability of wildlife populations
to reproduce and stay alive.
2. Acid rain may affect wildlife indirectly by releasing metals from soils and sediments into
water, where they can be eaten by animals like birds that feed there.
3. Acid rain increases pH of aquatic system and kills fish
 Effects on People
1. The most obvious are bad smells, poor visibility, and irritation of the skin, eyes, and
lungs.
2. Some of the direct effects are chronic bronchitis, emphysema of the lungs, and even
cancer.
3. As acid rain that falls directly on trees and crops can hurt them, it causes crops to fail.
 Damages Buildings
1. Acid rain deteriorates buildings and structures by breaking down stone and rusting metal
that is left out in the weather.
2. Acid rain can break down calcium carbonate and other chemicals that are based on
calcium.
Control of acid rain
Remedial measures for controlling acid rain:
1) Scientists have come up with many ways to cut down on the amount of sulphur dioxide
that coal-fired power plants make.

2) One option is to use coal that has less sulphur in it. Another way to get rid of some of the
sulphur is to "wash" the coal.

3) At the power plant, scrubbers can be put in place to get rid of the sulphur dioxide in the
gases coming out of the smokestack.

4) Because nitrogen oxides are made when coal and other fossil fuels are burned, some
power plants are changing the way they burn coal.

5) Control of automobile pollution by using catalytic converter

6) Running new vehicles on cleaner fuels, such as natural gas.

7) Using Low-emission cars.

8) Flue Gas Desulphurization to remove sulphur dioxide (SO 2) from the flue gases of fossil-
fuel power plants and other processes.

Fig. Flue Gas Desulphurizer

9) Liming: It is the process of using materials that are high in calcium and magnesium, like
marl, chalk, limestone, burnt lime, or hydrated lime, in different forms. In general, these
elements act as a base in acidic soils and make the soil less acidic.
10) In-stream liming, which is when fine particles of lime or other buffering minerals are
added directly to the water in a stream or river, neutralises acid right away and raises the pH of
the water right away. So, liming can be used to cut down on acid rain.
4. Ozone layer depletion
Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer present in the upper
atmosphere. Ozone depletion also consists of a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric
ozone around Earth's polar regions, which is referred to as the ozone hole. In the stratosphere
ozone is continuously being created by the absorption of short wavelength ultraviolet (UV)
radiations. Ultraviolet radiations less than 242 nanometers decompose molecular oxygen into
atomic oxygen (O) by photolytic decomposition.
O2 + hv → O+O
The atomic oxygen rapidly reacts with molecular oxygen to form ozone.
O + O 2 + M → O3 + M
(M is a third body necessary to carry away the energy released in the reaction).
Ozone thus formed distributes itself in the stratosphere and absorbs harmful ultraviolet
radiations (200 to 320 nm) and is continuously being converted back to molecular oxygen.
O3 + hv → O2 + O

Fig. Ozone layer depletion

The Ozone Hole

Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer present in the upper
atmosphere. Ozone depletion also consists of a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric
ozone around Earth's polar regions, which is referred to as the ozone hole.

Causes for ozone hole formation:

Chemicals made in factories are the main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole, especially
halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants, and foam-blowing agents (chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), HCFCs, and halons), which are called "ozone-depleting substances" (ODS).
Table List of ODS

Ozone-Depleting Substances Sources

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Refrigerators, air conditioners, air coolers, solvents, and dry-
cleaning agents

Halons Fire-extinguishers, electrical equipment such as computer, and

military equipment in ships, aircraft, and tanks

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) Solvent, degreasing agent, refrigerant, fumigant, and fire-
extinguishers

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Refrigerator, air-conditioner, insulating foams, and aerosol

(HCFCs) propellants

After being released from the surface, these compounds are carried into the stratosphere by
turbulent mixing, which happens much faster than the molecules can settle. Once they reach the
stratosphere, they release halogen atoms through photodissociation. These atoms help ozone
(O3) break down into oxygen (O2). As halocarbon emissions went up, both types of ozone
depletion were seen to get worse. The major causes of ozone layer depletion is the chemical
chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. CFCs are generally composed of carbon, fluorine and chlorine.
They are quite durable and can sustain harsh conditions. CFCs generally don’t react but only
react with sunlight when it breaks down to release chlorine.
CF2Cl2 + UV light →CF2Cl + Cl
This chlorine reacts with the Ozone layer and forms oxygen and chlorine monoxide. The ozone
depletion reactions are:
Cl + O3 → ClO + O2
When chlorine monoxide reacts with another molecule of oxygen, it breaks up again and releases
chlorine which can again react with ozone and cause further depletion.
ClO + O → Cl + O2
Effects of ozone layer depletion
1. Effect on people: When the ozone layer thins, more UV rays get into the air. When these
UV rays hit a person's skin, it can cause skin cancers that are hard to treat.
2. Impact on Animals: Due to the ozone layer getting thinner, whales' skin has been
damaged by high levels of UV rays. Due to the loss of ozone, many aquatic animals are getting
more sun damage.
3. Impact on plants: Increased UV rays can hurt plants if they are exposed to them for long
periods of time. The ozone gets into plants through the stomata. Damage to the stomata makes it
hard for plants to live. Ozone also hurts the amount of water in the soil, bugs, and other things.
4. Changes to Marine Ecosystems: Phytoplankton have lower survival rates after being
exposed to UV radiation, which has been demonstrated to alter their orientation and motility.
5. Impact on marine life: The early phases of life of marine species including fish, shrimp,
crab, and amphibians are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV radiation. Reduced
reproductive ability and stunted larval development are the most devastating impacts.
6. Material Affects: UV radiation is harmful to several materials of economic importance,
including synthetic polymers, natural biopolymers, and others. Elevated UV levels hasten their
decomposition, shortening their period of use in the open air.

Protecting the ozone layer

To halt the depletion of the ozone layer, countries around the world agreed to stop using ozone-
depleting substances. The main substances include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and methyl
bromide. Fluorinated gases (F-gases) have been introduced as substitutes for ODS in many
sectors such as refrigeration and air conditioning applications. F-gases include
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). These
gases do not deplete the ozone layer, but they are greenhouse gases. This means that these new
gases also contribute to climate change. F-gas emissions are monitored under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol, but not currently
addressed by the Montreal Protocol.
 5. Overpopulation
Overpopulation is an undesirable condition in which the current human population exceeds the
Earth's actual carrying capacity.
Different Causes of Overpopulation
1. The Death Rate is Declining: The difference between the overall birth and death rates in
populations is increasing with decreasing death rate due to medical progress resulting in
overpopulation.
2. Agricultural Progress: Agricultural advancements in the twentieth century enabled humans to
increase food production and yields by using fertilisers, herbicides, and pesticides. This
increased human food availability, resulting in population explosions.
3. Improved Medical Facilities: Medical science made numerous discoveries that enabled them
to defeat a wide range of diseases. The combination of increased food supply and fewer means of
mortality tipped the balance and marked the beginning of overpopulation.
4. More Hands to Fight Poverty: Poverty is widely regarded as the primary cause of
overpopulation. Poor people consider that more persons in family will increase their earning..
5. Immigration: Many people prefer to relocate to developed countries such as the United States,
United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where the best medical, educational, security, and
employment opportunities are available. As a result, those people settle in those areas, eventually
overcrowding them.
6. Inadequate Family Planning: Most developing countries have a large number of illiterate
people who live in poverty and have little or no knowledge of family planning. Furthermore,
marrying their children at a young age increases their chances of having more children.
Consequences of over population
1. Natural resource depletion: The increased population has resulted in destruction of forests,
hunting wildlife recklessly, polluting the environment, and causing a slew of other issues to
fulfill their needs resulting in rapid depletion of natural resources.
2. Environmental Degradation: The exponential increase in the number of vehicles and industries
has a negative impact on air quality. Global warming is caused by an increase in CO2 emissions.
Melting polar ice caps, changing climate patterns, and rising sea levels are just a few of the
consequences of environmental pollution.
3. Wars and conflicts: Overpopulation in developing countries places a significant strain on the
resources that should be used for development. This has resulted in various types of wasr and
conflicts over availability of water and energy resources.
4. Increased Unemployment:When a country becomes overpopulated, unemployment increases
because there are fewer jobs to support a large number of people. Because people want to feed
their families and provide them with basic necessities, the rise in unemployment encourages
crime, such as theft.
5. Expensive Living: As the gap between demand and supply widens due to overpopulation, the
prices of essential commodities such as food, shelter, and healthcare rise. People will have to pay
more to survive and feed their families as a result of this.
6.Epidemics and Pandemics: Poverty is linked to a variety of environmental and social factors,
including overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, malnutrition, and inaccessible,
inadequate, or non-existent health care, making the poor more vulnerable to infectious diseases.
7. Malnutrition, Hunger, and Famine: When resources are scarce, starvation and malnutrition, as
well as ill health and diseases caused by a lack of nutrients, such as rickets, become more likely.
7. Water Scarcity: Only about 1% of the world's water is fresh and easily accessible.
Overpopulation is a major problem that puts enormous strain on the world's freshwater supplies.
9. Reduced Life Expectancy: Overpopulation results in a scarcity of resources in under-
developed countries, resulting in less access to medical care, clean water, food, and employment,
and, ultimately, a sharp drop in life expectancy.
10.Extinction: Overpopulation has a severe impact on the world's wildlife. As demand for land
grows, natural habitats such as forests are increasingly being destroyed and wildlife species face
extinction.
11 Increased Intensification of Farming: With the increase in population, farming practises have
evolved to produce enough food to feed a larger number of people that contributes to
environmental pollution.
12 Rapid Climate Change:. Human activities are changing global temperatures. Larger
populations may accelerate these changes if more is not done to reduce individual carbon
footprints on a large scale.
Solutions to control Overpopulation Solutions
1. Improved Education: Educating the masses helps them understand the importance of having
only one or two children at most. Family planning and effective birth control can assist women
in making their own reproductive decisions.
2. Girl Child Education: Girls who receive less education are more likely to have children at a
young age and are more vulnerable to exploitation. Furthermore, poor families are less likely to
send their female children to school.
3. Raising Awareness of Family Planning: Raising awareness among people about family
planning and informing them about the serious consequences of overpopulation can help to slow
population growth.
4. Tax breaks or exemptions: Governments in various countries may need to implement various
tax exemption policies. One of them could be to waive a portion of income tax or lower income
tax rates for married couples with one or two children. Because humans are more inclined toward
money, this may have some positive consequences.
5. Sex Education Knowledge: Sex education for young children at the elementary level should be
mandatory. Most of the time, the information is insufficient, leaving sexually active teenagers
unaware of contraception and embarrassed to seek it. As a result, it is critical for parents and
teachers to let go of old inhibitions and educate their children or students on the importance of
sex education.
6. Social Media Marketing The intervention can be widely implemented at a low cost. Print
materials (flyers, brochures, fact sheets, stickers) can be distributed in a variety of settings,
including places of worship, sporting events, local food markets, schools, and car parks.
6. Automobile pollution
The introduction of dangerous materials into the environment by motor vehicles is referred to as
automobile pollution.
Components of Automobile Pollution
The principal pollutants connected with motor automobiles are as follows: \
1. Ozone- The principal component of urban smog, ozone is formed when hydrocarbons
and nitrogen oxides, both of which are substances produced by the combustion of automotive
fuel, combine with sunlight. Though useful in the upper atmosphere, ozone can irritate the
respiratory system at ground level, causing coughing, choking, and diminished lung capacity.
2. Particulate matter- These soot, metal, and pollen particles give smog its murky tint. Fine
particles from automobiles offer the most serious harm to human health because they penetrate
deep into the lungs.
3. Nitrogen oxides- These car pollutants can irritate the lungs and decrease the body's
defences against respiratory diseases including pneumonia and influenza. They also contribute to
the development of ozone and particulate pollution.
4. Carbon monoxide- This odourless, colourless gas is produced when fossil fuels such as
gasoline are burned. Nearly two-thirds of this pollution is produced by automobiles and trucks.
CO, when inhaled, prevents oxygen from reaching the brain, heart, and other important organs in
the human body. CO is especially dangerous to newborns and those suffering from chronic
ailments.
5. Sulfur dioxide- This pollutant is produced by motor automobiles when sulfur-containing
fuels, particularly diesel, are burned. It can react with tiny particles in the atmosphere, posing a
health concern to young children and asthmatics.
6. Hazardous air pollutants are chemical substances emitted by automobiles, automobiles,
refineries, gas pumps, and other sources.
Automobile Pollution Causes
The constantly increasing number of automobiles is the primary source of automobile pollution.
Other causes contributing to automobile pollution in cities include 2-stroke engines, low fuel
quality, obsolete automobiles, insufficient maintenance, heavy traffic, bad road conditions, and
outdated automotive technologies and traffic control systems.
The Effects of Automobile Pollution
(i) Climate change: The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere depletes the ozone
layer, resulting in global warming. As a result, severe weather occurs, which frequently results in
loss of life and property. With the ozone layer destroyed, the sun's dangerous ultraviolet
radiation can reach the earth's lower surface and injure humans and other living species.
(ii) Poor air quality: The various atmospheric pollutants degrade the air quality and make it unfit
to breathe in.
(iv) Well-being: These contaminants have the potential to cause lung infections and cancer.
Hydrocarbons, as we all know, are hazardous to human health. They have the potential to induce
heart disease, exacerbate asthma, harm the central nervous system, and make breathing difficult.
(vi) Acid rain and smog: Nitrogen oxides lead to the creation of highly corrosive smog, which
hastens car rusting. Acidic rain is created when nitrogen oxide dissolves in rain. Water collected
from this form of rain cannot be consumed by humans, plants, or animals.
Solutions to automobile pollution
(i) Awareness for Automobile Pollution Reduction: Civic education carried out by
government departments and non-governmental organisations can play a significant role in
educating people about the realities of pollution and how eliminating it can make the world a
much better place to live.
(ii) Policies implementation: Developing effective policies that anticipate modern-day issues
in terms of lowering car pollution can be highly beneficial Such rules may include limiting the
age of automobiles that can be imported, establishing guidelines for the condition of roadworthy
automobiles, and establishing agencies to investigate alternative fuels such as green energy.
(iii) Automobile maintenance: Regular car maintenance can aid in the repair or replacement of
worn out parts. Thus automobile works ideally and less pollution is emitted into the atmosphere.
(iv) Dispose of old vehicles: Old automobiles should be disposed of or returned to the
manufacturer so that new ones can be purchased. They contribute significantly to environmental
pollution and can also cause traffic accidents.
(v) Sharing a car: People who live in the same neighbourhood and work in the same area might
think about carpooling. This would minimise traffic congestion, save money on car fuel and
maintenance, and contribute to a cleaner environment.
vi) Alternative modes of transportation: Cycling and walking are both excellent ways to exercise
and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's also less expensive than driving, which still requires fuel,
and maintenance.
(vii) Use of masks: A person can consider wearing pollution masks to limit the amount of
pollutant ingested.
7. Paddy straw burning
Rice straw management is more difficult than wheat straw management, owing to insufficient
time between rice harvest and wheat sowing. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana are finding it more
difficult to clear the area for wheat sowing in November and December. Among the several
residue management alternatives, such as burning, bailing, in-situ assimilation in the soil, residue
removal, and complete/partial retention on the soil surface, farmers have discovered that burning
is the most simple and cost-effective way to clear the field in a short period of time. Straw
integration in the soil is another approach for managing paddy straw, but it is not used by farmers
because it requires the straw to decompose slowly.

Environmental and health concerns

(i) According to one study, agricultural residue burning contribute directly to environmental
pollution and are also responsible for Delhi's haze and the melting of Himalayan glaciers.

(ii) The heat from burning paddy straw reaches the soil, kills the bacterial and fungal
populations that are necessary for fruitful soil.

(iii) Crop residue burning harms other microorganisms in the upper layer of the soil as well as
its organic quality making crops more susceptible to disease.

(iv) Residue burning not only causes air pollution, but also increases evaporation rate and
reduces macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg etc.) as well as micronutrients (Fe, Mn, B, Zn, S etc.) in
soil.

(v) People suffer from health problems as a result of rising smog occurrence, eye irritation,
nose irritation, and throat irritation.

(vi) Direct burning in the rice field significantly changes the soil temperature, especially in
the top soil layer, besides decreasing readily assimilated carbon sources for microbes, soil
ammonium levels and available soil phosphorus.
Solutions to the pressing issue
(i) The Union government issued the National Policy for Crop Residue Management in
2014. Crop residue management has now helped to make the soil more fertile, resulting in a Rs
2,000/hectare savings in farmer manure costs.
(ii) Instead of being burned, the stubble can be used in a variety of ways, including calf feed,
compost manure, rural roofing, biomass energy, mushroom culture, packing materials, fuel,
paper, bio-ethanol, and industrial production, among others.
(iii) Conservation agriculture based management practices have several advantages-less costs,
reduced environmental pollution, conjunctive use of organics (avoids residue burning), improved
soil health and facilitates timely planting of crops to address issues of terminal heat stresses.
(iv) Farmers can also effectively manage crop wastes by using agricultural machinery such
as:
 Happy Seeder (used for sowing of crop in standing stubble)
 Rotavator (used for land preparation and assimilation of crop stubble in the soil) (used for
land preparation and incorporation of crop stubble in the soil)
 No till seed drill (used for land preparations directly sowing of seeds in the previous crop
stubble)
 Baler (used for collection of straw and producing bales of the paddy stubble) (used for
collection of straw and making bales of the paddy stubble)
 Paddy Straw Chopper (cutting of paddy stubble for easily mixing with the soil)
 Reaper Binder (used for harvesting paddy stubble and making into bundles)
However, these equipment are prohibitively expensive, and state governments should step up and
give stronger subsidies so that farmers can afford them. Government is subsidising crop residue
management machinery by 50-80%. This scheme includes a provision of Rs 1,151.80 crore for
two years for states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and the National Capital Region.
Case study
1. Crop residue burning has long been recognised in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar
Pradesh, but it is also becoming more common in other parts of the country. Ramnagina
Kushwaha, a farmer from Zamania in Ghazipur, died in a field after being set on fire
while burning wheat stubble.
2. To conserve the parali, the state administration has not implemented the National Policy
for Crop Residue Management (crop residue). The National Green Tribunal (NGT)
banned crop residue burning in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab on
December 10, 2015. Crop residue burning is a violation of Section 188 of the IPC and the
Air and Pollution Control Act of 1981. However, the government's implementation is
weak.
3. The Delhi High Court has also issued an injunction against burning crop wastes, and the
Punjab government fined farmers Rs 73.2 lakh in 2016 for burning crop residue.
Although the exact amount of fines paid was not disclosed, farmers continue to burn
waste every season, poisoning both the soil and the air.
4. According to an official report, the country produces more than 500 million tonnes of
parali (crop residues) per year, with cereal crops (rice, wheat, maize, and millets)
accounting for 70% of total crop waste. This is made up of 34% rice and 22% wheat
harvests, the majority of which is burned on the farm. According to estimates, 20 million
tonnes of rice stubble are produced in Punjab alone each year, with 80 percent of it being
burned.