Sambalpur: Farmers in this part of the state are increasingly resorting to stubble burning unmindful of its harmful effects like environmental pollution and declining fertility of farmlands, sources said Sunday. Reports said several changes have been implemented in farming through the adoption of modern techniques for the benefit of the farmers. Modern equipment is also being used to help farmers sow a seed and plough the land.
However, the problems lie elsewhere. The farmers after harvesting the crops with harvester machines are putting on fire the left over stubble. This is polluting the environment and also harming the soil for further cultivation. As stubble burning is a punishable offence, environmentalists have demanded legal action against those involved in it. They have asked the Fire Services and Revenue departments and the police to intervene. Fire services personnel said that in this dry condition, the flames, at times, spread to neighbouring farmlands causing huge problems. Sources said that stubble burning mostly takes place during harvesting of Rabi crops on farmlands.
Similarly, flames are also lit in jungles during kendu leaf collection. This in turn is creating wildfires and increasing the temperature of the surrounding areas. The sources pointed out that Sambalpur turning out to be one of the hottest districts in the state is due to stubble burning and wildfires. Ipsita Das, assistant professorcum-agriculture scientist of Odisha University of Technology (OUAT) here said that stubble burning is one of the major reasons behind the rise in temperatures in this district. She pointed out that it is also simultaneously destroying the fertility and moisture content of the soil. “So, in the long run farmers will suffer as the production capacity of farmlands will diminish drastically,” pointed out Das. High moisture content in soil is required for farmers to grow any crop. Stubble burning results in the death of microbes and worms which help in increasing the fertility of the soil. It also destroys the naturally available oxygen, zinc and other vitamins which help in increasing fertility of the soil. As a result, farmers are forced to use chemical fertilisers for cultivation, Das pointed out.
Das asserted that stubble has to be destroyed in a natural manner. She said that if farmers do not understand the pitfalls of stubble burning, they only will suffer. She said that the first and foremost duty of any farmer is to maintain the fertility of the soil because then only the produce will be sufficient. Just modern techniques of farming are not enough to increase production, Das added.
One of the top farmer leaders in the district Ashok Pradhan said incidents of stubble burning were not noticed in the past. This is a recent development and has happened due to farmers who have come to the district from other areas. He urged farmers not to indulge in stubble burning as it is harmful for both agriculture and environment.