As Punjab’s fields shift from golden wheat to emerald paddy each summer, a troubling ritual has taken hold: vast swathes of stubble set alight, blackening the skies and imperiling the soil. In May alone this year, nearly 10,000 farm‐fire incidents were logged across the state, as farmers raced against time—and economics—to clear their fields for the incoming rice crop.
For decades, wheat straw served as fodder and fuel: bundled into hay for dairy cattle or pressed into bales for biomass boilers. But with fewer milch animals left on Punjab’s farms—cattle numbers down by over 230,000 and buffaloes by more than 520,000 since 2019—straw’s value has plunged. Where once every golden stalk found purpose, today many farmers find it cheaper to toss a match than to hire machinery or pay for diesel to cut and incorporate the residue.
“I spend more in diesel than the cost of a matchstick,” admits one cultivator from Fagan Majra village, speaking under anonymity for fear of penalties. He points to bills exceeding ₹1,000 just to run tillers and tractors through choked fields. “Burning is quick, and under this midday sun, it’s the only way I can get back to planting paddy on time.”
Official tallies corroborate the trend: 14,500-plus farm‐fire events in 2022, slipping slightly to about 11,350 in 2023 before rebounding to nearly 11,900 last year. By May 24 of this season, incidents had soared to 9,992, with fully 92% of these flare‐ups concentrated in the frantic month of May.
Yet farmers’ arguments—straw impedes sunlight, harbors pests, gums up puddling for paddy transplanting—run counter to agronomic research. “There’s no proven harm to rice growth from stubble left in the field,” says Dr. Hari Ram, Principal Agronomist at Punjab Agricultural University. “On the contrary, when residue is plowed back into the soil, it can boost organic matter and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.”
The real challenge, experts argue, lies in the collapse of the straw‐to‐cattle and straw‐to‐fuel supply chains. With young adults migrating to cities, the region’s once‐vibrant small‐scale dairies have dwindled; biomass plants now burn rice husk rather than wheat straw; and the labor pool to handle cumbersome in‐field chopping and mixing is vanishing.
“Farmers aren’t resistant to change—they simply lack practical, cost‐effective alternatives,” explains Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice‐Chancellor of PAU. He warns that continued reliance on fire will degrade soils, forcing heavier fertilizer use and eroding long‐term yields.
Several solutions are under consideration. In‐situ management tools—rotary shredders and straw‐crushers—allow residue to be shredded on the spot and mixed into the earth. Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) sidesteps transplanting altogether, though its success hinges on soil types and specific rice varieties. Others recommend adjusting the sowing calendar—planting wheat later and paddy aligned more closely with monsoon rains—while trialing heat‐tolerant wheat strains that could shift harvest windows.
Amid the debate, older generations recall a time when no stalk went to waste. “We used to mix straw with mud to waterproof our roofs,” an elder farmer recalls. “Every bit had a purpose.” Restoring that ingenuity, agricultural leaders believe, could help Punjab clear its skies—and nourish its soils—once again.
