BeTheVoice

Climate Change Initiatives are stuck between two important pillars of democracy,  legislative and Executive

The policymakers designed policies at best. They include every possible detail needed to implement those policies but why these policies are not being implemented?

The answer is, “there is a lack of willingness to act on these policies”

Actions have their consequences and consequences further decide the action. Political parties seek opportunities as per their interest to implement the policies, regardless of the urgency or importance which ultimately checks the Executive to take any further actions and even the policy would have been the game-changer, remains as a draft in government records. Climate change is one of the intense topics which draws the attention of each stakeholder, yet policies are waiting to get the green signal and the crowd keeps suffering. Every day we are listening about Ozone layer depletion, melting glaciers, emissions of greenhouse gases, and heating of the earth. The one who has resources could manage somehow but what will happen to the masses?

 How big is the issue: Crop Burning

Every year 92 million tons of crop residue are burnt by the farmers in India. It is a serious risk for biodiversity and farm ecology. It will work as a butterfly effect if the government and the farmers will not take informed steps to prevent and manage it. In India, Farmers are mainly burning three crops biomass, namely rice, wheat, cotton where farmers are helpless economically in crop residue management. The government is failing at the policy level where they could provide end-to-end institutional support from the government and Agri Scientists who can help Farmers in Crop Residue Management.

There are Individual Companies like Shakitman Agro, Jadhav, and a few others who are working on Crop Residue Management but they need Government support to research extensively to deal with Biomass. Few IIT students made Bio-Degradable Plates from Rice stubble, One of the Ph.D. students from Chitkara University made a microwave technology-based weed management machine, and many more Entrepreneurs are there, working hard to bring change. Few Ideas to work on Crop Residue Management at the mass level are :

Climate Change Initiatives at Village Level / Farmer’s Level:

• Promote Farmers groups/FPOs / Villages who are doing such sustainable practices and award them
• linked the schemes and benefits where those farmers will be given advantage who are adopting Crop Residue Management

At Government/institution Level :

• Awareness of Policy laws pertaining to Crop Residue Management, it importance and implications of violation of laws. Convergence with CSOs(civil society organizations) for outreach and monitoring.
• Awareness campaigns/Video Clip Adds/Print material should be shared to aware farmers. They should be aware that what are the hazardous implications on climate and their community due to Residue Burning
• Promotion of Ideas like Waste to Wealth, where farmers will be given training on composting and by-product making of Crop Residues. The vision of earning from Crop Residue could really be a great eye-opener and game-changer for the farming community
• Promotion of Technologies like Ziro Tillage, ZBNF, Organic Farming, and Permaculture. Practices like Mulching and Multi-Cropping could help farmers to reduce the cost of production and increase their income.

We have Individual case studies but India Doesn’t need case studies, it needs policy level change for wider adaptability, Policies that are more realistic to adapt, and governance of these policies at the grassroots. 100 million tons are biomass burnt every year, contributing to GHG emissions and increasing our carbon footprint. So we should act immediately before it is too late and our lungs collapsed due to Smog and toxic GHGs.