Technology and biz incentives can tackle pollution from crop-residue burning: Economic Survey

In its annual analysis of the economy and policy, the Economic Survey 2017-18 also draws attention to the primary causes of air pollution in Delhi and NCR, and suggests possible solutions.

The alarming air quality in the National Capital region (NCR), comprised of Delhi and adjoining areas, has found fresh mention in the Economic Survey 2017-18 tabled in Parliament on January 29th.

It is well known by now that the average annual levels of PM2.5 – one of the most critical contaminants in the air we breathe – remain at above three times the prescribed level in this region.

The Survey reiterates the four main reasons for Delhi’s worsening air quality – crop residue and biomass burning; vehicular emissions and re-destributed road dust; construction, industries, and power plants; winter temperature inversion, humidity and absence of wind – and suggests that each of these source problems must be addressed systematically, through coordination between agencies and Central and State Governments and sustained civic engagement.

Citing a two-season study (summer and winter of 2015) by IIT Kanpur, the Survey pegs the approximate attributions to each of these sources as follows:

Source: IIT Kanpur, 2015

Action recommended

Keeping in mind the proportion of and causes behind each of these pollutants, a combination of emergency plans and medium-to-long-term actions have been recommended.

Short-Term Emergency Plans are to be implemented when the PM2.5 exceeds 300-400 mg/m3 over a 24-hour period. Measures include

  • Strict enforcement through heavy penalties on agricultural waste burning, aided by use of satellite based tools to detect fires and mobile based applications
  • Incentive payments to farmers, coordinated across states and NCR.

Medium and Long-Range Actions suggested include

  • Congestion pricing for vehicles
  • Expansion and improvement of the public transport system that will reduce private vehicle use and expansion of modernized bus fleets in particular
  • Phasing-out of old vehicles
  • Acceleration of BS-VI standards (already notified and to be commenced from 2020).

Use of technology

The Economic Survey also emphasizes technological means, implemented through agricultural cooperatives, local bodies etc, to tackle pollution arising out of the burning of agricultural waste.

One such potential solution identified is the Happy Seeder machine that sows seeds without the need to remove paddy straw, and works well when the straw is spread evenly on the field through the straw management system.

It encourages development and implementation of business models with private sector and communities and incentives to shift to non-paddy crops.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Bengalureans’ tax outlay: Discover the amount you contribute

Busting the myth of the oft repeated notion that "only 3% of Indians are paying tax". The actual tax outlay is 60% - 70%.

As per a recent report, it was estimated that in 2021-22, only 3% of the population of India pays up to 10 lakh in taxes, alluding that the rest are dependent on this. This begs the following questions: Are you employed? Do you have a regular source of income? Do you pay income tax? Do you purchase provisions, clothing, household goods, eyewear, footwear, fashion accessories, vehicles, furniture, or services such as haircuts, or pay rent and EMIs? If you do any of the above, do you notice the GST charges on your purchases, along with other taxes like tolls, fuel…

Similar Story

BBMP budget 2024-25: Allocations and climate action plan in conflict

Over Rs 2,130 crore allocated for roads in BBMP Budget 2024-25 far surpasses the allocations for improving healthcare, education and welfare.

The BBMP budget 2024-25 seems to be full of measures that are contradictory, which also undermine the rule of law. It hopes to garner Rs. 1,000 crore by permitting additional floors on high-rises as ‘premium floor-area ratio (FAR)’, over and above what is permitted by law.  At the same time, the budget has reduced the penalty on property tax defaulters by which it will lose about Rs. 2,700 crore!  Both these measures modify existing laws in an arbitrary manner, conveying the impression that laws may exist on paper but can be allowed to be bypassed at the whims of the…