By APURVA RAI
Some time ago, in the month of late February and early
March, I had the opportunity to travel from New Delhi to Allahabad (now
Prayagraj; though I still love to address it by its old name). I chose to
travel by an early morning train, instead of opting for a night journey, simply
for the reason that I wanted to enjoy huge wheat fields that gave me a reason
to rejoice.
What a mesmerizing scene it was! The crop was ripening and it looked like a vast golden harvest. The hard work of the farmers had paid dividends as they proudly moved around the golden fields praying to the sun god to keep them blessed for some more time to come. Everyone knew even a little rain would deprive them of the rewards they were waiting for.
After about a
fortnight I returned home by a night train as my heart contended and I had
that happy feeling within me.
This time, my stay
in my home in Noida was not long as I had to come to Sidharth Nagar, a backward
and poor district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where my better half happens to be
a professor of mathematics at the Sidharth University Kapilvastu (SUK). The
newly-formed state university is situated away from the city and the railway
station, amidst vast fields where wheat crops stood ready to be harvested.
Before I came to
this remote area I took it as a god-sent opportunity to breathe some fresh air
in the rural ambiance that I shall be getting here. Delhi and its surrounding
areas have earned a poor reputation for rising air pollution which has become a nightmarish experience for all those living there.
By the end of April, most of the wheat crop had been harvested. It didn’t take much time as the farmers leased huge machines to accomplish the task. The machine would finish off the job in several hours which would, otherwise, take several days and lots of manpower. The crop was harvested and the residue left by the machine painted the earth with a golden hue. The machine is not capable of removing the plants from its roots so the stubs remain there. The wheat stubs are the bone of contention as the farmers do not have any method other than setting them on fire.
Traveling from
Delhi to Allahabad and again to Sidharthnagar, followed by some more road
travel to the adjoining areas gave me ample opportunity to see the crops and
their harvesting from a close distance.
While I rejoiced
over the high yields I was shocked to see farmers burning the wheat stubs. Drive-in any direction and you come across black smoke billowing from the fields
engulfing the entire atmosphere. The highways passing through the villages
became dangerous as thick smoke reduced the visibility to zero.
I was dismayed at
the condition of villages. So far I thought I would be happy spending some time
in the rural areas where greenery and clean air would welcome me. The reality turned
out to be far from the imagination as things were worse than the metro life
where I had spent several decades of life.
I was shocked. I was in pain. I was helpless. I felt like crying.
It was not a
one-day problem. Every morning I woke to inhale the polluted air. I had started going
for morning walks but stopped it now. The air was not fresh anymore. The wind blew
minute burnt particles, the odor coming out of the ashes made breathing much more
difficult and there was itching in my eyes too.
Everywhere the
agricultural fields were on fire. I am told it is more or less the same
scenario in the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. Be it the day or be it the night
it hardly matters. The scene at night is even more frightening. From a distance, you can see a red hue over the fields and thick black smoke going up in the
sky. It’s fiery. The golden fields are on fire.
I could not stop
myself. My mobile phone was in my pocket and I made the best use of it. No, I am
not a ‘selfie’ guy, also, I do not spare any such opportunity that touches
me or allows me to capture moments of significance. Some pictures were clicked
during the day and some at the night too.
SLEEPY
ADMINISTRATION
Of course, I used them to tweet to the state government or the administration though I knew it would hardly make any worthwhile impact. At the same time, I cannot keep my mouth shut and eyes closed. Not only that I am concerned about society I am also an aware citizen of my country.
The grave matter
refused to go away from my mind. I talked to everyone I could. Everyone showed
concern. Many people, like me, had pictures and short video clips on their
mobiles. However, none shared them on any social platform, unlike me. Why
people are not moved or have they made videos just for their collections, I
mused.
My interactions proved on point. Everyone in the society was seeing the wrong taking place except for those who should be noticing it. The administrative machinery has proved it is in deep slumber. Even the gravity of raging fire is not enough to wake it up. The entire state of Uttar Pradesh is burning and the authorities do nothing to stop it or find a solution.
I thought even the
ministers or top officials must be breathing polluted air full of burnt carbon
particles. I wonder what stops them from reacting to the issue.
Shocking isn’t
it! The villages too are victims of air pollution now. We in cities would often talk about spending some time in villages where you can eat healthy and breathe fresh.
Things do not seem to be the same now. Things are no more the same in villages now as the sky is hazy, air is polluted and the
water too is not clean.
ANY REMEDY
The problem of
wheat stub burning is not a small issue. The farmers have found it an easier
method to clean up their fields and leave them for some time before they reap
another crop.
Burning the stubs is quick and simple. Otherwise, they would have to spend weeks in the fields to manually remove stubs from the ground. I thought the root problem is the lack of a machine that could remove those stubs. If the engineers could make it possible through some innovation we shall, perhaps, be able to prevent fire, feels the second opinion.
While talking to
some people I came to know that in some places farmers grow onions as an extra
crop which gives them some extra earnings too.
Also, this is the time to grow sunflowers in the fields. If farmers are
educated to plough the stubs and grow sunflowers instead, perhaps, they will go for
it as it offers them some lucrative alternative. After all, it is a question of
good earning between two crops that governs the entire thought process of
farmers. If adopted this will lead to double benefit. One, we will have beautiful fields full of smiling sunflowers and, second, the farmers will benefit financially.
BAD FOR SOIL
Burning crops
offer no solution. The fire spoils the upper crust of the soil besides burning alive
several insects including earthworms.
Small carbon
particles cause breathing problems for everyone including the farmers living in
the area. If taken for health check-ups most of the farmers will report lung
problems and bronchitis symptoms.
Burn scars remain
in the fields for some time. The farmers leave their fields because there is nothing to grow and cultivate during this period. They wait for the monsoon to set in
and for the rain to wash away the ashes.
TIME FOR
INNOVATIONS
It is for the government and local administration to prevent the farmers from ‘burning their fields’. It is for the government to push scientists and engineers to find an inexpensive and lucrative alternative that is widely acceptable to the farmers.
Though rules ban
burning in the open they remain ineffective. One thing has become clear for now
that mere laws cannot stop malpractices there have to be better education as
well as better solutions in hand.
If we do not want
to see those golden fields turning black we have to be serious. The seriousness
should be such that we see the end results in the fields and do not end up in
debates, classroom discussions, and tall talks.
The Second Opinion
feels if farmers and scientists join hands the fields will smile and remain
green forever. This is what we all look forward to.
