AlawmeanttosavegroundwaterinPunjabiscontributingtoaspikeinstubbleburningthatcausesseverepollutioninthenorthernstatesaroundthistimeoftheyear,accordingtosomeexperts.
Others,however,dismissthisreasoning.Thisisjustanexcuse,agriculturaleconomistSardaraSinghJohltoldPTI.
BharatiyaKisanUnion(Ugrahan)generalsecretarySukhdevSinghKokriputtheblameonthechangeinthepaddytransplantationpatternaftertheenactmentofthePunjabPreservationofSubsoilWaterAct,2009.
Thelawwasmeanttochecktherapiddepletionofgroundwaterinthestate.UndertheAct,paddytransplantationwastypicallydelayedfromJune1toJune20andpaddynurserysowingtoMay15.Thisyear,thepaddytransplantationdeadlinewasJune13.
Beforetheenactmentofthislaw,weusedtocompletethesowinginthemonthofMayandthecropwasharvestedbySeptember-endandOctober,givingampletimetofarmerstosowthenextwheatcrop,Kokrisaid.
Hearguedthatthisdelayinpaddytransplantationleadstodelayedharvestingandonlylittletimeisthenleftforfarmerstosowthewheatcrop.
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Sotheyburnthecropresiduetoquicklycleartheirfieldsforthesowing,hesaid.
AnilSood,aseniorscientistattheLudhiana-basedPunjabRemoteSensingCentremadethesameargument:thewindowbetweenharvestingandsowingofthenextcrophasshrunkbecauseofauniformsowingperiod.
Earlier,paddywasharvestedinareaslikeTarnTaranandFerozepurbySeptember-end,hetoldPTI.
Dueofthelowwindspeedandthecold,toxicgasesinupperatmospheregettrapped,increasingairpollution,headded.
Moreover,accordingtoBKUleaderKokri,thestubbleinNovemberhasmoremoisturecomparedtothedryresidueofthecropharvestedinSeptemberorearlyOctoberandthemoistresiduegivesoutthickersmoke.
AgriculturaleconomistSardaraSinghJohlquestionsthetheorybasedondelayedharvesting.Itisjustanexcuse(byfarmers).Thisisnotthecase,Johlsaid.
Tryingtoallayapprehensionsamongfarmers,PunjabAgricultureDirectorSwantantarKumarAirisaidsowingofwheatcangoontillNovember30.
Airisaidthedepletioninthestate'sundergroundwatertablehaddroppedto49cmperyear.Beforethelaw,waterwasdepletingatarateof76cmperyear.
Paddyisaawater-guzzlingcropthatconsumes4,000litrestoproduceonekilo.
Manyexpertshavepitchedforfinancialassistancetofarmerssothattheymanagethestubblebetter,insteadofstartingfiresthanendupchokingDelhiandtheNationalCapitalRegion.
Oneoption,accordingtothem,istoincludetheexpenditureincurredondisposalofpaddystrawinnon-pollutingwayswhiledecidingtheminimumsupportprice.
FarmershavebeendemandingthattheyshouldeitherbegivenRs200aquintalorRs4,000-5,000peracreformanagingthestubblethemselves,andthegovernmentshouldpaythem,farmexpertDevinderSharmasaid.
SharmasaidRs3,000croreisrequiredasfinancialassistanceforpaddygrowersinPunjab,HaryanaandUttarPradeshtomanagestubble.
Despitetheban,stubbleburninghasgoneonunabatedatseveralplacesinPunjabwithover30,000farmfiresdetectedsofarthisyear.
Lastyear,therewereabout50,000stubbleburningincidentsinthestate,officialssaid.
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