M.S. Swaminathan comes up with a solution to stubble burning menace

Even as the national capital continues to grapple with severe levels of air pollution caused partly by stubble burning by farmers in the neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, leading agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, in a series of tweets, suggested that instead of blaming farmers for the pollution, governments in these states should take initiatives to set up rice bioparks.

Noting that air pollution in Delhi has become "a matter of public health concern nationally and internationally," Swaminathan said many, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, are blaming farmers for causing atmospheric pollution by burning stubble.

"The air pollution in Delhi has become a matter of public health concern nationally and internationally. Farmers are being blamed by many including the Chief Minister of Delhi for burning stubble and thereby causing atmospheric pollution," he tweeted.

He further pointed out that in south India, the stubble is not burnt, but instead used as animal feed. He said he has been pointing out the economic uses of rice straw. "We should adopt a do-ecology approach with farmers to convert rice stubble into income rather than making them agents of eco-disaster," he wrote.

He cited the example of a rice biopark set up in Myanmar which utilizes stubble to make useful products, including paper, cardboard and animal feed. The biopark was set up by Chennai-based M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) with funding from Union ministry of external affairs.

Swaminathan, known for his role in India's Green Revolution, suggested governments in Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to set up bioparks “where farmers can convert stubble into income and employment.” “We should stop blaming farmers since it will take us nowhere. Instead we should propose methods which are economically and ecologically desirable,” he tweeted.