Crops residue burning has been spreading from Punjab and Haryana to other states like Andhra Pradesh and unless the government promotes zero-tillage mechanism for sowing of crops, air pollution could emerge as a major problem, warns experts in a study. India needs to move full mechanisation from partial mechanisation in agriculture sector, they said.
“The solution to crop residue burning is not that easy as this is the easiest way to save time and costs before sowing a next crop,” said PK Joshi, senior adviser with International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Speaking after the release of IFPRI’s Global Food Policy Report 2019, he said farmers were resorting to this as the gap between farm and non-farm income is widening while dependence on earnings from non-agricultural activities (mainly services) has been rising.
