Governmentality and the Persistent Crisis of Stubble Burning

Context

Stubble burning, primarily in northern India, is a significant environmental and public health issue. Despite regulatory frameworks and penalties, the practice persists due to systemic governance challenges. Governmentality, or the way governments exercise authority and manage populations, often exacerbates the problem by creating unintended consequences through policy design, enforcement gaps, and socio-political dynamics.

Understanding Stubble Burning in India

What is Stubble Burning?

Farmers burn crop residue (stubble) after paddy harvests to quickly clear fields for the next sowing season. This practice is prevalent in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Consequences:

• Severe air pollution, especially in Delhi and surrounding regions.
• Health crises due to toxic smog.
• Soil degradation and loss of biodiversity.

Governmentality and Its Role in Exacerbating the Issue

Policy Design Flaws

• Water Conservation Policies: Laws like the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act (2009) mandate delayed sowing of paddy to conserve groundwater. This leaves farmers with a narrow window to prepare fields for the next crop, pushing them toward stubble burning.
• Incentives for Paddy Cultivation: Policies promoting paddy farming through subsidies (e.g., free electricity, Minimum Support Price) have increased crop residue generation. These policies inadvertently encourage practices that lead to stubble burning.

Weak Enforcement Mechanisms

Despite bans and penalties under frameworks like the National Green Tribunal, enforcement remains weak:

• Nominal fines are rarely collected.
• Political reluctance to penalize farmers due to electoral considerations.
• Decriminalization of stubble burning after farmers’ protests in 2021 further weakened enforcement.

Insufficient Support for Alternatives

• Crop Residue Management (CRM): Government schemes providing machinery for residue management are limited in scale and accessibility. Many farmers cannot afford these machines despite subsidies.
• Bioenergy Solutions: Initiatives to convert stubble into bioenergy remain underdeveloped, leaving farmers with few viable disposal methods.

Lack of Awareness and Engagement

• Surveys reveal that many rural communities are unaware of the environmental and health impacts of stubble burning. Poor communication between policymakers and farmers exacerbates this gap.

Socio-Political Dimensions of Governmentality

• Political Hesitancy:  Though strictly against stubble burning, the government does not prefer any harsh steps as it does not want to alienate the farmers who figure among its critical voter base. This is often turned into lenient because law exists anyway.
• Fragmented Federalism: It covers an entire issue like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, yet there is no proper coordination between governments of various states with that of the central government. This fragmentation destroys any coherent policy perspective.

Solutions: Reorienting Governmentality

• Policy reforms: Proposed changes to water conservation laws that would allow greater flexibility in crop cycles. Promote substitution of resource-intensive crops with less ones like millets through subsidies and market aids. 
• Enforcement: Make provisions for strict penalties and apply them consistently. Make compliance a criterion for access to various government welfare schemes, as followed in Kapurthala district. 
• Alternatives-scale up: Distribution of machinery for CRM should be enlarged and time-bound. Bioenergy industries should be invested in, creating sustainable markets for crop residues. 
• Awareness: Mass awareness programs should be organized about the environmental and health aspects of stubble burning, where policymakers, scientists, and farmers come together to co-create solutions.

Conclusion

The persistence of stubble burning reflects deeper governance challenges rooted in flawed policies, weak enforcement, and socio-political dynamics. Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach that reorients governmentality toward sustainable agricultural practices while balancing economic realities for farmers. Only through coordinated efforts can this pressing environmental crisis be mitigated effectively.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Prelims Practice Question

Q. With reference to stubble burning in India, consider the following statements:

1. Stubble burning is primarily practiced after the Kharif harvest of rice and before the Rabi sowing of wheat.
2. Stubble burning significantly contributes to air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plains during the winter months.
3. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body that addresses air pollution including that caused by stubble burning.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: D

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