For people in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, smog and fumes from burning stubble arrive at the heels of winter. While NGOs, individuals and the government have been trying to discourage stubble burning, no significant improvement has been seen so far. However, the story of a farmer from Haryana, is an encouraging anecdote, that we hope can snowball into something bigger, better and more impactful.?
According to TOI, Virender Yadav - a 32-year-old farmer from Kaithal's Farash Majra village - has earned Rs 95 lakh from scientific stubble management in and around his village. He has not only managed to curb burning in the area, but also prove that stubble management can actually be a lucrative business, as opposed to the cumbersome and draining process that it's often imagined to be.?
Yadav used to live in Australia until 2018, when he returned to India to care for his ailing mother. He was moved by the plight of his own family who were struggling with something as basic as breathing clean air, and decided to do something about it."I had an ailing mother and two little daughters, Nishika and Tanisha. In 2018, when there was smoke and fire in fields, we did not know who to save. My daughters and my mother could not breathe properly. My daughters also developed an allergy. It was a turning point for me," TOI quoted Yadav as saying.?
He then raised the issue with the agricultural department officers. "My father is in the animal husbandry department and he guided me. We had only an acre of land and that was not enough for survival. Acting on their advice, I decided to procure four balers and bought two more later, with the subsidy provided by the agricultural department," he told TOI. He went on to say that he earned Rs 35 lakh in Australia, and now thanks to stubble management, he has managed to do business worth Rs 95 lakh in just two months.?
His modus operandi has managed to impress the deputy director, agricultural department, Kaithal, who said that Yadav had set an example for others.?
Air quality has plummeted across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, because of stubble burning - an issue that has been raised time and again, only to either be entirely glossed over or have insignificant real time impact. If innovation, technology and science - including that used by Yadav - can be used to better the air we breathe, while also ensuring farmers and the land do not suffer, we might be able to solve several pressing issues.At the moment, it is saddening, that what should be the perfect weather for long walks and being out and about, ends up being a period of laborious breathing, even more so for those who already suffer from issues such as asthma and bronchitis.?