PERENNIAL CURE FOR EXTREME SEASONAL AIR POLLUTION OF DELHI AND NCR ( NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ) OF INDIA

PERENNIAL CURE FOR EXTREME SEASONAL 
AIR POLLUTION OF DELHI AND NCR 
( NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION )  OF INDIA

  Every year in the recent times, the Delhi and NCR ( National Capital Region ) of India is getting into a period of Emergency for its Air Pollution around the month of October-November. Even this year, in 2019, as reported in various media,  right now the Air Pollution has reached the emergency level for which the local government has even declared closure of schools. In the past the Odd-Even formula ( using vehicles having either odd or even-registration numbers on specific days of the week) for usage of vehicles has been tried by the local government with some reported remission of the air pollution level and as reported by media, the same  formula for implementation is in the offing. 

What I am trying to post and highlight here, is one of the major root causes of the Air Pollution in Delhi and NCR region of India which, if can be addressed, it would give a perennial cure for this repeating menace to a large extent. 

The primary and major reasons for severe air quality deterioration around this time of the year, around Delhi and NCR region of India are :

• The "Pareli" ( local term, primarily for wheat and cereal grain straws left over in the cropping field after harvest of the crops) being burnt by the farmers in the states of Punjab, Haryana and other such neighbouring states closer to Delhi and NCR being burnt in the cropping fields to clean it for making ready for crops of the next season. The burning of the "Pareli " leaves huge amounts of smoke and fumes in the air which flows in brings in pollution to the air quality of Delhi and NCR as a major cause around this time.
• Also around this time, the Celebration of the Diwali Festival ( Festival of Lights ) for days together, all over India including Delhi and NCR where it is more intensive, and use of a huge quantum of oil (primarily vegetable oil)/fat ( hydrogenated vegetable fat or animal/milk fat such as ghee ) / wax based lights along with bursting of fire crackers in huge volumes, causes pumping of quite a volume of pollutants to the air.
• Of course, as the rainy season goes off around this time, and other regular pollution factors do continue, the particulate matters remain suspended in the air aggravating the situation and causing emergency of air pollution around this time.

Here I am mentioning about how the burning of "Pareli", which has been found to be one of the major cause contributing to the seasonal emergency of air pollution,  could be possibly be avoided by putting the "Pareli" to other use instead of burning it in the cropping field as it is being done right now. As I mentioned above, the "Pareli" is primarily the left over parts of straws of the Wheat Crop or Rice Crop or any such cereal crops that is left by the farmers in the field at the time of cutting and harvesting the crops. Therefore, in order to move to the next crop in the season, while the field has to be made ready for cropping, the farmers find it as an easy way to burn it out to clean the field so that it can be tilled to raise the next crop. The point I am putting forth is; whether the burning of the "Pareli" can be avoided by convincing and with consent of the people? Yes, there could be a possibility. 

Let us understand that the "Pareli" is the bottom part of the Straw of the Wheat, Rice or such other crops. The top part is cut while harvesting the crop and it is used for other uses after threshing and removing the grains out of it. The top part of the straw which is cut during crop harvesting is put to  various uses including fodder for cattle, cellulose fibre need in any application and also for manufacture of "Paper" during the present days. Thus Paper is a very potential application for "Pareli" for its best use. Because, normally and historically, it is wood pulp which is used for paper manufacturing. For getting wood pulp, we need to get wood and we can not get wood without cutting trees. While trees clean the air and reduce pollution, by cutting trees to get wood to manufacture paper, we also add to air pollution directly. In this case, if  " Pareli " is used in Paper manufacturing, we need not have to cut trees. As wood pulp is nothing but Plant-Cellulose, the "Pareli" contains Plant-Cellulose and it qualifies to be pulped for making paper. In modern age, yes, wheat straw is being used for Paper Manufacturing. In fact, there is a large Private Paper Manufacturer, located in the Western Punjab region of India, who is using wheat straw in big volumes to manufacture Paper and that paper is right now being sold in India in a good volume. Therefore, the "Pareli" which is being burnt by the farmers in their cropping field around this time, in Punjab, Haryana and other neighbouring states  around Delhi and NCR, if recovered from the cropping fields, has a Potential to be used for manufacturing of paper and to be used for other Cellulose Fiber need effectively in stead being burnt that is adding to the emergency level of air pollution. 

It could be possible if the Government can make a scheme to cut the left over "Pareli" from the cropping fields and transport it for effective use at its cost ( the cost of cutting and transporting for for disposal to be borne by the Government under the scheme) and possibly the farmers may be motivated and convinced to accept it as ultimately their cropping fields would be clean out of it and their purpose would be largely met. Using mechanisation for cutting the "Pareli" could be also an option for faster out put. The cost of cutting and transporting the "Pareli" may be to a large extent can be met when it is put to Paper Manufacturing as the raw material value of the Paper. Over a period of time ( may be in a few years ), with appropriate campaigning, providing cost support as incentive to the farmers, may be putting mild regulatory structure in place and putting the "Pareli" into effective and best use such as Paper manufacturing, I believe the farmers would agree to stop burning the "Pareli" as being done now.

Here, there would be  double benefit for the Nation in the following ways if the burning of the "Pareli" could be stopped :

• Since burning of the "Pareli" would stop, the major contribution to the Air Pollution it is causing around this time of the year would get reduced to that major extent.
• Since the "Pareli' will be used for paper manufacturing ( which is already being done in Western Punjab by a large Manufacturer ) or other such effective use where Plant Cellulose can be used, Trees being cut for wood to be used for Paper Manufacturing will be saved. Those trees will clean the air to a large extent and help in reducing air pollution.

This is an idea, I believe is doable over a period of time, it would be feasible by proper efforts and it would also result in perennial cure for the seasonal emergency of air pollution is being caused around this time of the year almost every year in recent times. 

I am making this blog post in my personal capacity and it is an idea, it may be considered by one and all including the authorities/government in the better interest of India.

Dr.Nimain Charan Biswal.

About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan  Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology ). M.B.A. and Ph.D.    ( Management Area ) by qualifications and he has 34+years of work experience in both  industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at OUAT-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University ( with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad ). Dr.Biswal is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organisations in Senior/Top Management Capacities. He is a management expert, a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.