Stubble Burning in India: Prevalence, Emissions, and Sectoral Comparisons (2010-11 vs. 2024-25)
Stubble Burning in India: Prevalence, Emissions, and Sectoral Comparisons (2010-11 vs. 2024-25) Is Stubble Burning a North Indian Issue Only? Stubble burning, the open-field incineration of crop residues (primarily rice and wheat straw), is not exclusively a North Indian phenomenon but is overwhelmingly concentrated in the northern Indo-Gangetic Plains due to intensive rice-wheat cropping systems, short harvest-to-sowing windows (e.g., 10-15 days post-rice harvest in October-November), and socio-economic pressures on smallholder farmers. States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Rajasthan account for over 80% of incidents and burned residues, driven by paddy cultivation. Southern and central states (e.g., Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu [TN], Andhra Pradesh [AP], Telangana) experience far lower rates, as their cropping patterns allow more time for residue incorporation or alternative uses like fodder or bioenergy, reducing the urgency to burn....