As Delhi continues to choke under hazardous air pollution senior scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have raised alarms about the dual damage caused by stubble burning—not only polluting the air but also depleting vital soil nutrients.
Nutrient Loss and Soil Degradation
ICAR scientists revealed that burning one tonne of paddy stubble results in a significant loss of soil nutrients, including:
12-13 kg of phosphorus
35 kg of potassium
20 kg of nitrogen
Of these, nitrogen is completely lost, while phosphorus is partially recoverable. ICAR Director General Himanshu Pathak emphasized that stubble burning harms both the environment and agricultural productivity, stating, “In any form, stubble should not be burnt as it harms everyone.”
Rising Pollution Levels
Stubble burning continues to be a significant contributor to Delhi’s worsening air quality, accounting for up to 40% of the city’s air pollution, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) recently touched a hazardous level of 494, the second-worst reading in six years.
While Punjab and Haryana have traditionally been blamed, recent data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) shows that Rajasthan and Delhi have seen the highest farm fire incidents since 2020. Between September 15 and November 17, stubble burning incidents across six states were reported as follows:
Rajasthan: 2,060 cases
Delhi: 12 cases
Punjab: 8,404 cases (five-year low)
Haryana: 1,082 cases (five-year low)
Uttar Pradesh: 2,807 cases
Madhya Pradesh: 10,743 cases
ICAR advocates a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the problem, rather than relying solely on solutions like bio-decomposers or pellet conversion. Scientists argue that stopping stubble burning is critical not just for air quality but also for preserving soil health and long-term agricultural sustainability.
This growing challenge calls for an integrated effort involving farmers, governments, and researchers to address the root causes and adopt eco-friendly alternatives to stubble management.
